The Basketball Star and His Journalist
by AlineVanDeventer
Summary: Completed...look out for the sequel.
1. Draft Day

Nathan Scott was sitting silently in the green room. He was awaiting his fate as a professional athlete and the suspense was killing him. Instinctively, he grabbed his girlfriend, Brooke Davis', hand and squeezed it. She looked up at Nathan and smiled at him. That was all he needed to calm his nerves. Brooke was the only person in the world who could make him feel better in tense situations and he was so glad she was there with him.

"Nathan, it's gonna be fine sweetie," Brooke said as she squeezed his hand.

"I know I'm just nervous. I feel like I've been sitting here forever," Nathan replied.

"Nate, they haven't even announced the first pick. Be patient babe."

Nathan laughed. He knew Brooke was right but the suspense of his future was killing him. Would he really go in the top 5 like he was told he would or would he be the Matt Leinart of the NBA and fall to the 10 spot? Being drafted 10th wasn't necessarily a bad thing but it would crush Nathan after being told he was a lock for the top 5. He couldn't imagine what that must have felt like for Matt going from a guaranteed number 1 pick if he came out a year early to falling to the 10th spot in the draft the next year.

"Hey Nate," a voice said shaking the young man from his thoughts.

"Yo Luke, what's up man?" Nathan replied when he realized it was his brother.

"It's getting crazy out there. I think Mr. Stern is getting ready to announce the first pick. You all right bro? You look nervous?"

"He's fine, Lucas. Just not good at being patient," Brooke answered from the corner.

"Nate? Patient? Please, he's never been good at that," Lucas laughed.

"If you get drafted over me I'll kick your ass bro," Nathan said sarcastically.

"Oh please little brother. I don't think you have to worry about me going before you, it's been all "where is Nathan Scott gonna end up?" "will he go number 1?". The only thing I've heard about myself is whether or not the Scott brothers would both be drafted in the first round. Bro you're a lock for the top 5 and we all know it right Brooke?"

"Yup. Luke's right Nate. You'll be in the top 5 for sure. But that's not important to me. I'll be proud of you no matter where you get drafted," Brooke said as she lifted Nathan's hand to her lips and kissed it sweetly.

"Thanks baby," Nathan said sincerely.

Lucas was about to say something when they heard NBA Commissioner David Stern's voice over the intercom system.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to welcome you all to the 2010 NBA Draft. With the first pick in the draft, the Toronto Raptors select out of Duke University power forward Vance Jefferson."

Vance Jefferson jumped up from his seat and had to regain him composure before going out to the platform to shake hands with the commissioner. Nathan smiled as he watched Vance make his way from the green room to the platform. The waiting began again as Vance came back into the green room sporting a Toronto Raptors hat to collect his stuff and then just as quickly as he had come in he was gone again.

"How did that kid get drafted over you? Baby he's not number one material. It's all you," Brooke said with surprising anger.

"Brooke, it's all right. I'd rather not be drafted number one. There's gonna be enough pressure on me being the son of Dan Scott. I don't mind not having the added pressure of being drafted number one on top of that. Besides, what happened to you being proud no matter where I get drafted?" Nathan answered her calmly. He really didn't want to be drafted number one. It was gonna be tough enough dealing with the name sake he was so "lucky" to carry.

Brooke didn't say anything. She knew that she was being ridiculous. But it still didn't seem right to her. She followed college basketball religiously being the girlfriend of a talented ball player like Nathan and an ex-girlfriend of another talented ball player like Lucas. She wanted them to get the recognition she felt they both deserved. Nathan was dominant in his four years in Orlando with the Golden Knights and Lucas worked his way to a leadership role in Gainesville with the Gators. Neither one of them managed to reach the pinnacle of college basketball by winning the national championship but that didn't matter to them. They didn't play for the glory like they had in high school. In college it was about having a good time and winning. Championships just didn't seem to come their way and that had been fine with them. Dan Scott however was less than thrilled to hear that neither of his sons were staying in North Carolina to go to school. Brooke remembered the many talks she had had with Nathan and Lucas about their decisions to go to school outside of North Carolina. At the time she wasn't dating either one of them. But she wanted to make sure they were making their decisions based on what they wanted and not based on what Dan didn't want for them.

"With the second pick in the 2010 NBA draft, the New Jersey Nets select out of the University of Central Florida, center, Nathan Scott," David Stern announced.

Brooke let go of the breath she didn't know she had been holding and squealed as she hugged Nathan before he stood up, pounded fists with Lucas and made his way out of the green room to the platform where David Stern stood waiting for the young man. As he made his way out of the green room he flashed the room full of families, team execs and players a genuine smile before accepting his cap and shaking hands with the commissioner. His boyhood dream was coming true. Nathan had been drafted into the NBA. He was gonna be better than Dan Scott ever was and he was gonna do it in a classier way than Dan Scott knew how.

"If only Keith could see this," Nathan whispered to himself. It had been four years and it still hurt to think that Keith was dead. Keith had been more like a father to Nathan and Lucas than Dan ever was. He knew that even though Keith couldn't be there to see this that he was indeed proud of him.

After a moment Nathan turned and made his way back to the green room. He didn't want to leave until Lucas' name was called too. It meant everything to Nathan to be there and support his brother after the rocky start they had getting to know each other.

"Nathan what are you doing back in here?" Lucas asked with a mischievous look.

"Supporting my brother. I'll leave when your name has been called and not before then. I know if the roles were reversed and I got left in here alone I'd go crazy," Nathan replied.

"Thanks bro."

"Anytime."

The two pounded fists one more time and then pulled each other in a manly one-armed hug. Brooke watched from the corner and smiled at the scene that was unfolded before her. She loved Nathan with her whole heart and Lucas was an amazing friend and she couldn't imagine life without them. They were her life now. Haley was off doing her music thing and Peyton was, well she had no idea where Peyton was or what she had been up to. And that suited Brooke just fine. She had the Scott brothers on her side and as far as she could tell, that was all she needed to get by. Brooke was shaken from her thoughts when she felt Nathan's eyes on her. She turned her head and smiled warmly at her boyfriend.

"Whatcha thinking about baby?" Nathan asked as he sat down next to Brooke.

"Just how lucky I am with you and Lucas around," she replied sweetly.

"Aw, baby, nobody's luckier to have you than I am. Without you I'd be nothing."

"Nathan Lee! That's not true. You're amazing with or without me."

"No Brooke. Without you I'm lost. You helped me in so many ways that I can't even begin to explain what you mean to me."

Lucas pretended to throw up as he watched his brother with his girlfriend. He felt like Nathan was about to propose or something but knew that wasn't happening today. Nathan talked to him the night before and he told Lucas that while he wanted to be with Brooke forever he wasn't ready to take that next step quite yet. In fact, if Lucas heard right, Nathan said marriage freaked him out.

"Lucas will you please tell your brother he's amazing even without me?" Brooke asked sweetly.

"Nate, you're amazing even without Brooke. But he's right too Brooke. You've helped him become one hell of a man," Lucas replied.

"Not fair! You're just using your leverage as Lucas' ex-girlfriend to get what you want out of him," Nathan pouted playfully.

"Nathan!" Brooke shrieked as she smacked his shoulder.

"Babe you know I'm teasing."

Brooke just rolled her eyes at Nathan. He was right, she did know he was teasing but she couldn't let him know. She had to leave him wondering. It was more fun that way. As the three sat there waiting they heard a few more names called. Lucas was getting antsy but he was trying to remain calm on the outside. Pacing wouldn't help, only make the other guys in the green room more anxious and pissed off so Lucas opted to sit in the corner and just close his eyes. Silently he counted as more names were called that weren't his following Nathan. So far he counted five after his brother. His nerves were really starting to set in. Was he really gonna fall out of the top ten? As much as Lucas wasn't a position guy he didn't want to listen to Dan chiding him should he fall out of the top ten. Especially since Nathan was drafted number two.

"Lucas. Luke? Hello," Nathan said waving his hand in front of Lucas' face.

"Huh?" Lucas responded disorientated.

"You ok? You've been sitting there counting to yourself for a while now. What's up?"

"Just counting how many guys' names are being called after you that aren't my name."

"Dude, it doesn't matter if you don't get drafted in the top ten. You're still a kick ass baller and you know it. Screw what Dan says if something happens and you don't get drafted in the top ten. You know he'll be on you no matter where you fall in the draft. We should both just be glad we didn't get drafted number or back-to-back."

"I know. But I can't help but think, maybe if I get drafted in the top ten, Dan will understand that I am more than just his bastard son who walked onto the high school team and stole some of your thunder."

Nathan grimaced as a laugh slipped from his lips. He remembered telling Dan that his "brother" had shown up and walked onto _his_ team. Even more than that, he remembered how much it pissed him off. Now Nathan didn't give two shits about whose team it was. As far as he was concerned now, it was a team effort but there was nothing wrong with having a captain because everybody needs someone to follow and take direction from.

"With the eighth pick in the 2010 NBA draft, the Denver Nuggets select out of the University of Florida, power forward, Lucas Scott," Commissioner Stern announced.

"Wait a sec," Lucas started.

"Get out there bro, I don't know of any other power forwards named Lucas Scott out of Florida in this draft," Nathan said with a smile.

"I'm proud of you too," Brooke told Lucas as she hugged him before he walked out of the green room to join Commissioner Stern on the platform.

Unbeknownst to Lucas, he found himself wishing Keith could see this just as Nathan had done when it was his turn on the platform. Lucas looked out over the crowd and his eyes immediately fell on the two people he was searching for, his mom, Karen, and his little brother, Jason. They smiled and waved at him, Lucas smiled and nodded in their direction. Turning on his heels, Lucas walked off the platform and down the steps to join Karen and Jason.

"Hey Mom," he said happily as he sat down next to her.

"I'm so proud of you baby," Karen said.

"Lucas can I weaw youw hat?" Jason asked sweetly.

"Sure pal," Lucas replied as he took it off and placed it on Jason's head, laughing as it slid down over the boy's eyes.

"Nice hat, Jace," Nathan said as he and Brooke walked over to join them at their table.

"Luke let me weaw it," Jason answered.

Everybody at the table chuckled at Jason. Keith's death had been hard on everyone but ever since Jason was born, it felt like there was a piece of Keith in him and that made it just a little more bearable. Jason Keith Scott was born on May 15, 2006. He was a blessing to all who he came in contact with. Even Dan seemed to have a soft spot for the young boy. While at times Karen was leery of Dan's behavior toward Jason she was grateful to have an adult male presence in Jason's life. She only hoped that Lucas and Nathan's presence weighed stronger on the character of her youngest son. She did not want Jason to be anything like his uncle.

Nobody was really paying attention to the draft anymore until they heard another familiar name, Jake Jaglieski, was drafted 16th by the Houston Rockets.

"Good ole JJ, haven't seen his scrawny butt in a while," Lucas said.

"The last time I saw him he was with that bitch Peyton," Brooke sneered.

"Brooke!" Karen gasped.

"Oh my gosh, Karen, I'm so sorry."

"Mommy what's a bitch?" Jason asked not even thirty seconds later.

"It's a mean name to call a girl. I better not ever hear you say it ok?" Karen answered.

"Ok Mommy."

"Karen I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. I know you hate for anyone to use foul language around Jason," Brooke apologized.

"It's ok sweetie, it was an accident."

"Nathan tell your girlfriend to watch her language around my little brother," Lucas laughed.

Brooke looked at Lucas and mouthed "bite me" at him. Nathan sat back and laughed at the two of them acting like they were the four year olds, not Jason.

When the first round of the draft had ended, Jason was sound asleep under the table. Karen had wanted to stick around longer but Lucas convinced her to take Jason back to the hotel and get some rest. He knew she needed it whether she admitted it or not. Jason was quite the handful sometimes and it wore Lucas out to watch him so he could only imagine how badly it wore Karen out on top of having to run the café.

"Mom, it'll be fine. Just take Jay back to the hotel, let him sleep and you get some sleep too," Lucas told her.

"No, he's fine where he is. I'm fine too," Karen replied stubbornly.

"Come on, Karen, how about I go with you and if Jason wakes up, I'll entertain him," Brooke offered, sensing Karen was nervous about leaving it to chance that she wouldn't hear Jason wake up and something would happen to him.

"Brooke are you sure about this?" Lucas asked skeptically.

"Yes Lucas, as long as your mom agrees."

"Ok, thank you, Brooke. That would be wonderful," Karen finally said.

Lucas lifted Jason off the floor and passed him off to Karen. Nathan kissed Brooke's lips softly before she turned to walk away with Karen and Jason. Lucas and Nathan sat at the table watching the draft unfold. They were curious to see where their college teammates and any of their old high school teams were gonna be drafted. Mostly they were just glad for some one on one bonding time.

"This is gonna be one helluva ride," Nathan declared.

"Damn right little bro," Lucas replied. They smiled and knocked fists before tipping back their waters. This was a great day for the Scott boys. Nathan and Lucas sat there as the draft continued. It was still the first round somewhere around the 19th pick.

A few hours later, the draft had ended and it didn't seem like anyone was terribly disappointed. Charlotte, Dallas and Sacramento drafted all skills, Fergie and Junk, high school teammates of Nathan and Lucas, late in the first round respectively, also Tim Smith was drafted in the second round by Seattle. Overall, Whitey's discipline and coaching contributed to getting the seven of them, include Jake, to this stage in their basketball careers.

"All right bro, let's bounce," Nathan said to Lucas as the room began clearing out.

"Aw what's the matter Nate? Afraid of the media now?" Lucas teased.

"Shut up, Luke. You know I hate all the crap about Dan and then playing against you. I'm sick of it."

Lucas did know. He hated it too. But what he hated even more was the fact that the press felt they had the right to pry into his personal life with constant inquiries about his love life. His new found status as a rookie for the Denver Nuggets was sure to bring the onslaught of questions flooding back. It was at that moment he knew that he wasn't ready for that yet.

"Ok, let's get out of here. I'm not ready for the media either," Lucas said after a minute. Nathan nodded in agreement. The two brothers snuck out of the room and slipped out of the building to find their limousine waiting to take them back to their hotel. As soon as they were in the limo, Nathan leaned his head back and closed his eyes.


	2. Interview, Shopping, Surprises & Secrets

"Nathan! Come on, please don't make me do this alone," Brooke pleaded as she zipped up her light pink skirt.

"Babe, you have to do this yourself. I can't go to the job interview for you. It doesn't work that way. You know I'd go for you if I could. Just relax, you'll be fine. I know you will. There's no one in the world half as amazing as you. Now hurry up or you'll be late and everything I said won't matter to them," Nathan replied.

Brooke pouted at Nathan. She really didn't want to do this alone. It was different for Nathan. He didn't have to wow anyone with his verbal skills or ability to write. All he had to do to secure his future was wow people on the basketball court and he had been doing that since before he got to high school.

"All right, I'm gone. Wish me luck," Brooke said as she picked up her keys.

"You don't need luck baby. I'll be here when you're done. We can celebrate after you get home," Nathan shot back, grabbing her into a hug and kissing her sweetly.

Brooke grinned at Nathan as she turned and bounced out the door. Her nerves were getting more intense but knowing that she had Nathan's support was more than enough to help her keep them in check. He had been her rock since her mom died and her friendship with Peyton fell apart for the last time and she couldn't be more grateful. It didn't matter that in high school they were the captains of the basketball team and cheerleading squad. All that mattered now was how much they loved and supported each other.

Nathan watched as Brooke left their apartment. He was so proud of her for everything she had accomplished with all the critics she seemed to attract along the way. Everyone expected Brooke Davis to fall flat on her face without Daddy's money to keep her standing up. She took that criticism and threw it back in her critics faces as she graduated as the salutatorian in high school and then valedictorian of her graduating class at the University of Miami. Brooke Davis didn't need money to hold it together. She had plenty of brains to take care of that herself and a heck of a support system in her corner, Nathan being his girlfriend's biggest fan. A role that used to belong to Peyton, until the drama that built up between the two girls unraveled.

Nathan was broken from his daze when the phone rang. He quickly turned on his heel to answer the phone before it went to the answering machine. When Nathan saw the number on the caller id he considered letting it ring through but knew it wouldn't matter. Dan would call the house and his cell phone until finally Nathan caved in and answered the phone.

"Hello," Nathan said, trying to sound pleasant.

"Hello, son. How are you on this fine day?" Dan answered.

"I'm fine what do you want?"

"No need to be hostile. Can't I call my son to say hello?"

"No. You never call just to say hello. What do you want cause I don't have time to play your games."

"I'm not playing any games Nathan."

"Damn it Dan! I'm not kidding. What the hell do you want? You're wasting my time."

Nathan was losing his temper. He really didn't want to talk to Dan. Not now, not ever, if he could have it his way. Unfortunately that was just a pipe dream and Nathan knew it.

"My, my we certainly have a temper this morning. Is everything all right son?"

"I said I'm fine. If you have nothing else you need to tell me could we wrap up this wonderful talk we're having? I have more important things to do beside sit on my ass and talk to you."

"Fine but I thought you should know I saw your lovely girlfriend getting awfully cozy with your brother."

"Damn it Dan! Lucas is Brooke's friend! They were not getting cozy. I don't care if you saw them holding hands or Brooke sitting on Lucas' lap or whatever. She's not cheating on me so you can shove it!"

Nathan didn't wait for Dan to respond. He clicked the phone off and slammed it down on the counter. Talking to Dan really got to him. It wasn't hard to tell that Dan didn't approve of Nathan's relationship with Brooke but Nathan didn't give two shits what Dan thought. Brooke was amazing and all that mattered to Nathan was that they loved each other. When Nathan had finally calmed down, he grabbed his keys and his cell phone and left the apartment. He hadn't been lying when he said he had stuff to do. Starting with going out jewelry shopping, he still wasn't ready to propose but he wanted to get an idea of what he should get Brooke so when he was ready all he would have to do was ask and pray she would accept.

"Get a grip, Scott. Brooke loves you of course she'd accept a marriage proposal," Nathan chided himself.

Nathan reached the mall and parked his truck before getting out and making his way to the jewelry store. He only hoped that Brooke hadn't finished with her interview yet and decided to do a little shopping of her own. This was going to be a surprise when the time was right and Nathan couldn't have Brooke seeing him looking at rings or the surprise would be blown and that would break Nathan's heart. He loved surprising her and he hoped that this would be his favorite surprise of them all.

After looking in three stores at about two dozen rings, Nathan finally found the perfect match. It was a white gold band with two small diamonds and a small emerald stone in the middle that matched perfectly with Brooke's eyes. He was so excited he couldn't wait for Brooke to wear it, that is if she agreed to marry him. Happily he made his way toward the exit but was stopped by a familiar voice.

"Nathan Scott, how are you?" the person asked.

He whipped around to find where the question had come from and found himself staring into the eyes of his high school sweetheart, Haley James.

"Haley. Hi, how are you?" he asked after he collected himself.

"I'm doing all right but I asked you first."

"Oh me, I'm good. Everything's good." Nathan realized he was holding the bag from the jewelry store and quickly tried to hide it before Haley could ask what he had in the bag. No such luck, she was always a quick one.

"What's in the bag?"

"Oh nothing. Just some jewelry for Brooke."

"Brooke huh? So you two are uh?"

"Yeah, Brooke and I are together. We have been for the last four and a half years actually."

"Wow that's really great. What's really in the bag?" Haley had a feeling she knew what it was because Nathan was being so secretive about it.

"Mommy! Lucas spitted at me," a little girl with blonde pigtails screeched.

"Mommy?" Nathan said questioningly.

"Who are you?" the little girl asked, turning her attention to Nathan and forgetting about her brother spitting at her.

"Jenny, this is Mommy's friend Nathan," Haley explained to her daughter.

"Hi Jenny. It's nice to meet you. Your mom is an amazing woman," Nathan said extending his hand to shake Jenny's. Jenny looked at Nathan hesitantly than decided it was safe and shook his hand.

Nathan was blown away. He hadn't seen or heard from Haley since they broke up. She had taken it pretty hard but somewhere along the way Nathan had fallen out of love with Haley and knew it would be unfair of him to string her along and make her believe something that wasn't true. Shortly after their relationship ended he began to see Brooke in a different light and their relationship soon began. Now here she was with at least one child, probably two and Nathan was just shocked.

"Nathan are you ok? You look a little pale?" Haley asked after a minute.

"Yeah, I'm ok. Sorry about that. So how's life treating you Miss James?" Nathan replied with a smile.

"It's Jaglieski now actually." Haley showed Nathan her ring.

"Wow. So what happened to the music thing?"

"I wasn't feelin' it. So I went back to Tree Hill for a little while, applied to a few colleges around the state was accepted to all of them. Chose to go to NC State, met up with Jake again and then we started hanging out and about three years ago he proposed and we got married shortly after."

"That's awesome. So have you heard anything from"

"No I haven't heard from Peyton. Jake hasn't either. Said he gave up trying to find her when he called her cell phone and there was a message saying the phone had been disconnected."

"Oh."

Nathan knew that Peyton wasn't Brooke's favorite person any longer but it bothered him that she just let their friendship go over a guy after all the other stuff they had survived through as the dynamic duo that they were. He was hoping to talk to Peyton and convince her to try and talk it out with Brooke one more time but now he had no idea where or how to find her. Especially if Jake didn't even know how to find her.

"Mommy! Lucas did it again!" Jenny screeched.

"Excuse me one second Nathan," Haley said as she turned around and walked over to wear Jenny was standing next a stroller with two little boys seated side by side.

"Lucas, you do not spit at your sister ok?" Haley said firmly but gentle.

"Ok," the little boy whispered.

As soon as Haley got up to turn her attention back to Nathan, the other little boy screamed. Sighing Haley made a quickly apology to Nathan and turned back to her kids. Nathan watched in awe. Never in his life had he seen someone so natural at handling a child who was screaming that loudly. He was in such a trance that he didn't even realize his phone was going off till it got louder.

"Hello," he said not checking the caller id.

"Hey baby, where are you?" Brooke asked.

"Out shopping."

"You're shopping?"

Nathan cursed to himself silently. He knew he shouldn't have said he went shopping. Now it was going to be difficult to surprise Brooke.

"Yes I'm shopping. I'll be home in a little while and I wanna hear all about your interview ok?"

"Ok I'll see you in a little while. I love you baby."

"I love you too baby."

"Oh Nathan, while you're out can you get some paper towels we're out."

"Sure thing. Ok I gotta run. I love you."

"I love you too. Bye."

Nathan closed his cell phone and saw Haley standing there, holding the now quiet child, grinning at him.

"Was that Brooke?" she asked.

"Yup. She had a job interview this morning and she must be home cause she was asking where I was," Nathan replied.

"I'm sorry about earlier. Colin gets upset easily."

"That's ok Haley. Look, it was great seeing you but I really gotta run. Maybe you and Jake can bring the kids over sometime for dinner or something."

"Sure sounds great. Tell Brooke I said hey."

"I will. Bye Haley."

"Bye Nathan."

The two waved at each other and went their separate ways. Nathan couldn't believe what had just happened. In less than 20 minutes he found out that Haley had not only stopped with her music but she was married to Jake and had three kids. Well technically two but even Jenny who Nathan knew was Nikki's daughter was calling Haley "Mommy". He shook his head as he left the mall to get paper towels and a few other things so it would be easier to sneak the ring into the apartment without Brooke knowing it. Then it hit him, Brooke didn't know Haley was so close by and he was the lucky one that was gonna tell her. Nathan hoped that it would be well received. The two had been real good friends in high school before Haley took off to pursue her musical career and didn't really say much in the way of good-bye to Brooke.

After stopping at the store to buy paper towels, flowers for Brooke and something to cook for dinner Nathan was finally ready to head back to the apartment. He kept thinking maybe tonight would be the night. Maybe he was ready but only time would truly tell along with Brooke's mood. He didn't want to ask her if she was in a foul mood or upset about the interview. He wanted the moment to be perfect. His cell phone started ringing as he opened the door to the building where he and Brooke lived. When he made it inside he was able to answer his phone.

"Hey baby," he said without looking.

"Where are you?" Brooke asked.

"Downstairs in the lobby. I'll be up in a minute."

"Ok."

Nathan closed his phone and walked up the two flights of stairs to the apartment. Just as he was about to reach out and open the door of the apartment he looked up into the beautiful green eyes of Brooke Davis. She was smiling at him as she took the bags from him except the one from the jewelry store which Nathan had thrown away at the mall after tucking the ring box safely in his jacket pocket. He really didn't want Brooke stumbling across the bag and finding the ring until he proposed. That's when he remembered the flowers. They were laying on the table outside the apartment door. Nathan turned his body half way around and grabbed them and closed the door.

"These are for you beautiful," he said as he kissed Brooke's lips.

"Nathan, they're gorgeous. Thank you baby," Brooke said as she accepted the dozen white roses and returned the kiss.

"Anything for my girl."

Brooke laughed as she searched for a vase to put the flowers in. She finally found one and happily placed her newest dozen roses in the vase and placed it on the coffee table in the living room. Nathan smiled as he watched Brooke lose herself in the flowers. She loved white roses and Nathan loved Brooke so he thought it was a good trade. Giving the woman he loves something that she loves plus he knew it would distract her from asking him what he had really gone shopping for. Which he would always be grateful for it made surprising her on his own time so much easier. Even when she insisted that he knew she hated to be surprised. Nathan sat down on the couch and grabbed Brooke's hands pulling her into his chest. He wanted her to tell him about her day before he dropped what was sure to be a bombshell on her when he mentioned running into Haley and all the new information he had on her.

"How did the interview go baby?" Nathan asked.

"It was great. They loved all my writing samples and everything. They said they haven't made a final decision yet because they still had a few more candidates to interview for the position but they also said that if they were to choose someone at that moment I would have the job," Brooke replied excitedly.

"That's great baby. I told you everything would be fine."

"Yes you did. But we can't celebrate yet because there is nothing to celebrate."

"Sure there is. Tonight we'll celebrate the fact that your interview went well. And then when the time comes we can celebrate again. I have a really great feeling about this Brooke. You deserve that job. You worked your ass off for so long that it's about time you get some recognition for it."

"Thanks babe."

"Anytime. You know I'm your biggest fan."

"And you know I'm your biggest fan but I'm gonna have to buy a Nets and a Nuggets jersey for both my guys."

"Of course. We wouldn't want Lucas feeling jealous or left out now would we?"

"Of course not."

"Come on, let's go make some lunch. I'm hungry and I bet you are too."

Brooke nodded as she slid off the couch and followed Nathan into the kitchen. This was turning out to be a fantastic day. And there was still something that each of them had yet to tell the other one.


	3. Secrets Shared & Upsetting Conversations

Nathan and Brooke were getting lunch together in the kitchen. He wanted so badly to tell her than he had run into Haley and her kids at the mall and that Haley asked him to tell Brooke she said hey. But he didn't want to get Brooke wound up which was bound to happen. Even if it wasn't necessarily his fault, after all, Haley spotted Nathan first. Not that it mattered but he needed something to make it soften the blow when he brought Haley up.

Brooke looked at Nathan and smiled. She couldn't wait to tell him what she found out that morning at a doctor's appointment she had gone to after her interview. As much as the timing didn't thrill Brooke, the idea of being pregnant with Nathan's child made the time issue disappear. She didn't want to focus on that, she only wanted to focus on the fact that soon they would have a child of their own and Brooke couldn't wait. Brooke hoped Nathan wouldn't freak out or make her rest all the time and not let her do anything fun once the news about their baby was out.

The two of them were so lost in their own thoughts that they didn't notice that the other one was distracted. They worked together in perfect silence until Nathan dropped the plastic cup of water he was holding and it splashed everywhere, including all over the front of Brooke causing her to screech in shock. Nathan looked at his girlfriend apologetically but couldn't keep a straight face. He burst out laughing and Brooke, who wasn't amused, smacked her hand across his shoulder.

"Nathan! It's not funny, the water is cold and now it's all over me!" Brooke shrieked.

"Baby, I'm sorry but the look on your face is absolutely priceless," Nathan replied trying not to laugh.

"I'm going to change while you clean up the mess clumsy."

Nathan grabbed Brooke's hand before she could leave the kitchen and pulled her into him, soaking wet or not, Brooke was beautiful and Nathan wanted her to know how he felt.

"Nate, you're gonna get your shirt wet," Brooke said to him.

"I don't care. I just want to hold you," Nathan whispered before he dropped a kiss on her nose.

Brooke blushed furiously. Nathan knew exactly what to say to make her cheeks turn pink and took every opportunity he was given to make it happen. He thought it was the cutest thing when Brooke blushed. He was even attracted to her when she had tears running down her face and her make up was smudging. It didn't matter what the circumstances were, Brooke would always be beautiful to Nathan.

After Brooke changed her shirt she went back to the kitchen to find the mess Nathan made with the water gone and a nice lunch spread out on the table. Complete with candles and background music. She smiled as Nathan came over to pull her chair out for her and then pushed it in too.

"Wow, Nathan, this looks great. I can only imagine how wonderful dinner's going to be if lunch looks this good," Brooke said happily.

"You just wait Miss Davis. Lunch is only a preview of dinner's excellence this evening my dear," Nathan replied as he grabbed Brooke's hand and brought it to his lips.

Brooke sighed happily. She loved everything about Nathan. Even the little things he did for her that no one else ever thought to do in her entire life. It didn't matter how many times he came home with flowers or jewelry for Brooke. Nathan didn't have to buy Brooke's love and affection. She loved him for who he was as a person not how much money he spent on her. That wasn't important to Brooke now. She learned all too quickly that money didn't buy love and it didn't buy her out of sticky situations. There was something about Nathan that allowed Brooke to show who she really was on the inside without any fear. She thought she had that with Lucas but as the days go by with Nathan it was a reminder that Lucas never let her all the way in.

"Brooke, I have something I need to share with you," Nathan said seriously after a few minutes.

"What's up baby?" she asked hoping nothing was wrong.

"I ran into Haley while I was out shopping today."

"You what?" Brooke was stunned. She was sure that Haley wasn't anywhere near the east coast and here she was having lunch with Nathan and he was telling her otherwise. This was quite a surprise.

"I was shocked too. She asked me to tell you she said hey."

"Oh ok." Brooke wasn't sure if she was happy that Haley had cared enough to have Nathan pass along a greeting or angry that Haley never bothered to pick up a phone and call Brooke to say hello in the last four and a half years. She was silent for a few minutes; she didn't want to lash out at Nathan. He wasn't the one who had left her; he was the one who was there to hold her up when her whole world had crumbled. This was too much for her to take.

"Brooke? Are you ok?" Nathan asked carefully as he watched her expression change continuously and finally settle on blank.

"I…I don't know. This is too much for me. I thought Haley was clear across the country and here she's in the mall here, and did she call and tell me she's here? NO. Damn it," Brooke replied as a tear slid down her cheek. She missed Haley so bad that knowing she was this close really stung.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have sprung that on you so quickly. I just wanted you to know because I know Haley is a friend."

Brooke didn't answer him. She just shook her head. It wasn't Nathan's fault that she reacted the way she had. It was her hormones but she couldn't tell Nathan that just yet because she hadn't even told him about the baby yet.

"Has she heard from Peyton?" Brooke asked through her tears.

"No she hasn't. Jake hasn't either," Nathan replied.

"How does Haley know that?"

Nathan drew in his breath. He knew he was going to tell Brooke everything that he learned about Haley after running into her at the mall but he was nervous now. Just hearing that Haley was in town made Brooke cry so Nathan didn't even want to imagine how she was going to react when he told her that Haley gave up her music for college, married life and motherhood. Silently he hoped that Brooke wouldn't freak out after he dropped the remainder of the bombshell.

"Haley and Jake are married now baby."

"Wait what? Hales and Jaglieski are together? Are you kidding? What else did she tell you that she didn't bother to call and tell me over the years?"

Nathan watched as Brooke furiously wiped the tears from her now angry eyes. Part of him felt bad because he knew it was because he ran into Haley that she was upset and angry. But he reminded himself that Haley was the one who left Brooke when things were rough for her. Nathan stood by Brooke faithfully through it all and it had killed him then to see her crumble like it was killing him now to see it happen all over again because Haley was back and Brooke didn't even know it.

"Are you sure want to hear all of it right now?" Nathan asked hesitantly.

"What do you mean all of it? How much did she tell you?" Brooke demanded.

"She gave up her music and came back to North Carolina and went to NC State where she met up with Jake again. They have three kids, Jenny, Lucas and Colin."

"She had kids and didn't tell me? Damn it! What did I do to deserve being shut out of her life? Nobody even knew we were together in the beginning so it can't be that she's pissed at me for that."

Brooke was beyond angry now. Swiftly her emotions had carried her from angry to furious and straight to livid. Completely skipping happiness at the idea of Haley being a mother. It didn't matter to Brooke in that moment. Her friend didn't bother to get in touch with her when she was making drastic changes in her life and that was like a slap in the face to Brooke, worse than losing Peyton's friendship.

Nathan watched Brooke silently, his breaking at the scene before his eyes. Telling Brooke was gonna be tough and he had known that from the beginning but it was becoming clearer to him that he had underestimated just how tough it was going to be for Brooke to hear it. As he continued to sit there he knew tonight couldn't be the night he proposed, he didn't want her to think it was a "pity proposal" to take her mind off Haley. Nathan knew he wasn't proposing out of anything but the truest love he had ever felt before in his life. He squeezed her hand as he stood up to begin cleaning the table and the dishes from lunch.

Brooke continued to sit in her chair seething in anger toward the situation, not so much toward Haley and definitely not at Nathan. He didn't cause this, he was just doing what he thought was a sweet thing by telling Brooke that Haley was around. She loved him for wanting to tell her even with the history she had with Haley but it was killing her inside that Haley had so many major events in her life that Brooke knew nothing about until now. And only because Nathan had run into her at the mall, with her kids. Haley's kids. Brooke was having a real hard time wrapping her head around the fact that Haley was a mother. Not because Brooke didn't think Haley could hack it as someone's mother but because she knew Haley would be an amazing mother. She wished she had known sooner, like maybe when Haley had gotten pregnant. But Brooke knew better than to dwell on what wasn't. She knew changing the past was impossible too.

"Nathan. Thanks for letting me know baby," Brooke finally said when she had calmed down enough. "I know it must have been hard for you to tell me not knowing how I would take it."

"You're welcome. I had a feeling it wasn't gonna be very well received but I have to admit I didn't think it was gonna be quite that intense," Nathan replied.

"I'm sorry about that. It's just hard for me to hear that Haley's gone through her wedding and pregnancy and labor and I was never told."

"I know this is a lot for you to take in right now but I invited them for dinner at some point. We don't have to do it if you don't want to though. I'm sure Haley would understand. I know I would. Especially since I did it thinking you'd be fine with it."

"Baby it's fine. I would love for them to come over for dinner. But not yet. There's something I need to tell you first before we entertain the idea of company during dinner." Brooke grinned mischievously at Nathan as she watched him try to figure out what she wanted to tell him.

"What is it?"

Brooke grabbed Nathan's hand and dragged him to the bedroom. Before her mom had died she gave Brooke all of her baby blankets with firm instruction to take good care of them and any children she may have in the future. She grabbed the first one she could find which was a yellow blanket with teddy bears dressed in pj's and nightcaps sleeping on clouds and various other activities. Smiling Brooke held the blanket out to Nathan. He took it with a puzzled expression, not knowing if this was what she was trying to tell him.

"What's going on Brooke? I don't understand," Nathan said dumbfounded.

"That's a _baby_ blanket for a _baby_," Brooke replied.

"You want to give them to Haley?" Nathan was totally oblivious and Brooke was trying not to laugh at his confusion but he was so cute when he didn't understand something.

"No, _Daddy_, I want to give them to _our_ baby," Brooke tried again hoping he would get it now that she called him "daddy". She watched him carefully this time and knew a light bulb went on because he was grinning broadly.

"Brooke, are you saying what I think you're saying?" he asked.

"Yes. I'm pregnant Nathan," she replied happily.

Nathan's smile grew as he lifted Brooke off the floor and spun her around. This was the best news he'd heard in a long time. Now there was definite cause for celebration that night. But he would have to make sure there wasn't any alcohol consumed. Then he thought of all the alcohol that was already in the apartment. Nathan quickly put Brooke on her feet, kissed her deeply then turned and walked out to the kitchen.

"Baby where are you going?" Brooke asked bewildered.

"Getting rid of the alcohol in the apartment. For the next nine months you won't be able to have any so I won't have any with you," Nathan replied.

Brooke laughed because she knew that Nathan would absolutely hold true to his word and neither one of them would be having any alcohol for the next nine months. She thought it was sweet of Nathan to go to such lengths to rid not only the temptation to drink for Brooke but for himself as well.

Nathan walked into the kitchen and swung open the fridge. Alcohol had been a staple in the everyday life of Nathan Scott since as far back as he could remember but it was important to him that Brooke didn't drink at all while she was carrying their child. A smile spread across Nathan's face as he reached into the fridge and grabbed 2 6-packs of Mike's Hard Iced Tea and a few stray bottles of Smirnoff Twisted drinks. He knew it would be ridiculous to throw the bottles in the trash with the alcohol in them so Nathan placed all the alcohol he found on the counter. When all was said and done, there were the 2 6-packs of Mike's, a dozen or so loose bottles of Smirnoff Twisted drinks, some bottles of Samuel Adams and a bottle of vodka. Nathan knew he was a big drinker but he hadn't realized until that moment just how big of a drinker he really was.

"Baby, it's ok with me if you drink. You're not the one who's pregnant. You shouldn't give up alcohol just for the baby's sake," Brooke said as she walked into the kitchen and saw Nathan pouring the alcohol from two bottles down the drain.

"No, Brooke. This is something I want to do. For you and for the baby, the next nine months are going to be spent entirely sober for both of us. I love you and I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I did something to hurt you or the baby because I was too drunk to control my behavior," Nathan answered not turning his head away from the sink.

"Ok if you say so." Brooke shrugged her shoulders and walked out of the room. She was surprised that Nathan hadn't suggested calling Lucas or Karen to tell them about the baby.

"Hey babe!" she yelled from the bedroom.

"What's up honey?" Nathan yelled back.

"Should we call Luke and tell him he's gonna be an uncle?"

"Of course. He'll be thrilled. You do the honors while I finish up in here baby."

"Ok."

Brooke reached for the phone and dialed Lucas' cell phone, hoping he would answer. It rang a couple times before someone finally picked up.

"Hello," Lucas answered, breathing heavily.

"Hey Luke, it's Brooke. Are you ok you sound like you're out of breath?" she replied.

"Oh hey Brooke. Ya, I'm fine. Just came in from a run. What can I do for you? Is everything ok?"

"Better than ok."

Lucas waited for Brooke to continue. He thought maybe she was calling to tell him that his brother finally got his act together and popped the question. There was no way he could know what kind of surprise he was in for.

"I'm pregnant, you're gonna be an uncle," Brooke said when she realized Lucas was waiting for her to tell him what was going on.

"Wow. That's um…that's just um…pregnant huh?" Lucas was stunned. That was not what he expected to hear. He was going to be an uncle, his brother was gonna be a father. Thinking about it blew Lucas away.

"You're not excited?" Brooke was mildly crushed. She hoped Lucas would be excited for her and Nathan. If this was excited, Brooke was afraid to see him get angry.

"No. I mean, of course. It's just I wasn't expecting that."

Brooke walked out to the kitchen and shoved the phone into Nathan's chest. She didn't want to talk to Lucas anymore. It was painfully obvious to her that he didn't want to be an uncle and she couldn't deal with him at the moment.

"Talk to your idiot brother before I rip his head off," Brooke said icily as she walked out of the room.

"Brooke what the fu" Nathan questioned.

"No, Nathan. Not now. Just talk to him. I'm done!"

Nathan stood there forgetting he was holding phone with Lucas waiting on the other end.

"Luke what the hell did you say to her?" Nathan asked trying not to bark.

"I don't know man. I didn't think she'd be offended," Lucas replied.

"What did you say? Damn it Lucas. She's over here crying and I need to know what you said!" Nathan was pissed at Lucas. It wasn't normal for Brooke to shove the phone at him mid-conversation with Lucas.

"I'm sorry, Nathan. I didn't mean to upset her. I just wasn't expecting a phone call telling me I'm going to be an uncle. Don't jump down my throat."

"Are you listening to what I said? You made Brooke cry! She never cries after talking to you. She thought you'd wanna know you're gonna be an uncle because you and I know you're her best friend and oh hell, I'm your brother. Thanks so much for making my girlfriend cry! Your enthusiasm and congratulations are amazing. Or rather your lack of both. Bye."

Nathan hung up the phone and walked into the bedroom to find Brooke curled up in a ball on the bed sobbing. He laid down next to Brooke on the bed and grabbed her into a tight embrace whispering to her and wiping the tears off her face. Soon after they were both sound asleep. The celebration would have to wait for another day.


	4. Change of Heart

It had been a week since Brooke had called Lucas to tell him that he was gonna be an uncle and she was still pissed at him for the way he acted. Nathan still wasn't happy with him either but being his brother he was at least talking to Lucas. Convincing Brooke to do the same was about as easy as getting Dan off his back for Nathan.

"Sweetie, I know you're still pissed at Lucas but don't you think you should talk to him and tell him how you feel?" Nathan asked hoping she wouldn't scream or throw anything at him.

"No. He doesn't deserve it. Besides if you want him to know why don't you tell him for me? I'm ok with not talking to him," Brooke answered evenly.

Nathan shook his head. Pregnancy had made Brooke more stubborn than anything else. He knew someday she would decide to call Lucas but he thought it was time to do that now. Apparently Brooke had a different idea. Maybe Nathan was treading dangerous waters but he hated to see Brooke so miserable and he knew how sorry Lucas was. To have them not speaking was hell on Nathan but he knew better than to bring that up to Brooke.

"Nathan I'm sick of talking about Lucas. He was an asshole and I don't feel like dealing with him," Brooke announced suddenly.

"Ok I'm sorry. We can talk about something else. Like what you would like for dinner," Nathan replied.

"Pizza. With black olives, bacon, mushrooms, green peppers and no sauce! I can't take the tomato sauce. Please make sure those morons at the pizza place don't put any sauce on my pizza."

"Ok but you're not gonna be sick if I get a pizza with sauce on it for me are you?"

"No baby. I have no intention of sharing mine with you anyway."

Nathan laughed. He knew that was true. Anytime Brooke wanted pizza lately she refused to eat it with sauce and Nathan had to order himself a separate pie with sauce and cheese only in order to keep himself from being sick as Brooke devoured her pizza that never had the same toppings on it two times in a row. Her latest combination of toppings was a bit more normal than her usual request for pepperonis, pickles, anchovies and Nathan couldn't bear to remember what else. All he could remember was that it almost made him physically sick to order it. But of course he did because he wanted Brooke to have whatever she was craving.

"The things I do because I love you," Nathan laughed as he called to place the order for their dinner that night.

"Oh and baby, will you please get a 2-liter of caffeine free diet Coke?"

"Sure thing."

"Thank you."

Brooke kissed him softly and left the room. She had been working on ideas for themes to use in the baby's room. So far she had a pink and purple color scheme if the baby was a girl and Nets' colors if the baby was a boy. But there were other possibilities Brooke wanted to consider that she had yet to sketch out. Names were something she and Nathan had agreed to do together but like most girls, Brooke had a list of names she liked and wanted to use. As she sat on the bed surrounded by her ideas, Brooke's thoughts wandered to a time when she would have been able to sit and do this kind of thing with Peyton and Haley. The more she thought about the two of them, the more she wished that they could be there and share in this experience. A single tear fell from her eye as she realized that wasn't gonna happen. Brooke reached up and wiped the tear away forcing herself to focus on the task in front of her: designing a room for her yet to be born child. Her child with Nathan, a man whom she loved more than life itself. Having Nathan as the father of her baby couldn't thrill Brooke more than anything she had experienced yet in her young life. He meant everything to Brooke and now they would always be connected through this child. Brooke smiled to herself as she began a sketch for another idea for a girl's room: Pink clouds with yellow musical notes across the walls. Instinctively as she continued to sketch, Brooke placed her other hand on her stomach.

"Baby! The pizza will be here in about a half hour," Nathan called from the kitchen.

"Ok. Did you remember to ask for the Pepsi?" Brooke replied.

"No, I'm sorry. I forgot. Tell you what? I'll run out and get one while we wait for the pizza to come."

"Thank you baby."

"You're welcome. Would you like me to get anything else while I'm at the store?"

"Mac & cheese and some Double Stuffed Oreos."

"Ok I'll be back in a bit baby. I love you."

"I love you too. Please be careful."

Nathan smiled at the concern in Brooke's tone. Instead of just leaving he walked down to the bedroom first.

"I promise to be careful baby. I wouldn't want to leave you and our baby," Nathan said as he leaned down to kiss her lips. "What are you working on?"

"Design ideas for the baby's room."

"Sounds great. Show me when I come back?"

"Okay. Now go before the pizza gets here."

"I'm leaving. I love you sweetie. Don't worry about me."

"I love you too sexy."

Nathan laughed as he kissed Brooke one more time before turning to leave for the store. Love never felt so good. Even if there was an unexpected pregnancy in the mix now. He didn't care, Nathan knew Brooke was the only woman in the world who he wanted to have children with.

As soon as Brooke heard the door close she grabbed the phone. She had been intending to call Lucas since the day he upset her but Nathan's constant hounding made her put it off longer and she couldn't explain why. It rang three times and went to voicemail. Brooke sighed. She hadn't wanted to leave an apology on his voicemail.

"Hey it's Brooke, call me when you get this," she said before hanging up.

She put the phone down and picked up her pencil and continued with the sketch. Smiling, she looked at her progress so far and it pleased her immensely. There was nothing Brooke loved more than designing and writing. It was an amazing feeling for her to design the bedroom where her child would soon be sleeping. Then it occurred to Brooke. They didn't have another bedroom in their apartment. What was technically called a bedroom was her office where she did her freelance writing so needless to say it wasn't a room they could give up. Brooke would have to talk to Nathan about finding a bigger apartment or maybe even a house before the baby was born. Her thoughts had her so entranced that Brooke didn't hear the door open again so she jumped when she looked up and saw Nathan standing against the door frame holding a glass of what she hoped was diet caffeine free Pepsi.

"Whatcha thinking about?" Nathan asked with a smirk.

"Us and the baby," Brooke replied accepting the drink and taking a sip.

"What about us and the baby?" Nathan was intrigued.

"We don't have enough room to stay in this apartment. I can't convert my office into a bedroom. And I want my baby to grow up in a house. Not an apartment."

"Don't worry about that baby. I've got it covered. I already made some calls about finding a place up north in Jersey or maybe New York City."

Brooke's eyes lit up. She should have known Nathan would think of that on his own. He was a smart guy and knew that it would be tight in the apartment with a baby. She loved him so much that sometimes she had no idea how to tell him. In that moment she leaned up and kissed him. They were interrupted by the buzzer signaling someone was at the door.

"Pizza's here," Nathan laughed as he got up to answer the door.

"Great I'm starving," Brooke said. She put her hand on her stomach and thought about the fact that the baby was hungry too.

"Here's your pizza darling," Nathan said sweetly as he handed Brooke a plate with two slices of pizza displaying her cravings.

"Finally they didn't put any sauce!" Brooke squealed happily as she tore into the first piece.

Nathan laughed to himself as he watched Brooke eat. This was another time that he found her to be extremely cute. He ate his own pizza as he watched her devour hers in record time, even for her. Sweetly Brooke held her plate out to Nathan hoping he would understand that she wanted more. Nathan smiled as he rose to his feet to get her two more pieces of her pizza.

"Here you go," he said kissing her nose.

"Thank you baby," she replied.

After six pieces Brooke was thoroughly disgusted by the combination of food on the pizza and didn't want to look at it again. Nathan rolled his eyes as he cleaned up in the kitchen and got Brooke another glass of her Pepsi and a glass of cranberry grape juice for himself. Not drinking alcohol had been working pretty well for Nathan so far and it made him happy. He didn't want to be a drunken father that his child grew up to hate because of his actions. He refused to be like Dan was and push his child to be a basketball prodigy. The phone rang breaking into Nathan's thoughts.

"Brooke can you get that!" he called from the kitchen.

Brooke grabbed the phone and smiled when she saw it was Lucas.

"Hey Luke," she said.

"Hey I got your message. What's up?" he replied.

"I wanted to talk to you about last week. It hurt to hear you being unenthusiastic about my pregnancy and even though I know you didn't mean it I just thought you should know."

"Brooke I'm sorry I was an asshole about it. But you should know I'm excited about this. You'll be a fantastic mother and your child is gonna be spoiled to death by Uncle Lucas. Count on it."

"Who's on the phone sweetie?" Nathan asked as he walked back into the bedroom.

'Luke' Brooke mouthed as she listened to him tell her how happy he was for her and Nathan. It made Brooke smile to know that his initial reaction wasn't how he truly felt about the baby. When they were finished talking Brooke hung up and cried again. Only this time she was crying happy tears.

"What did he do now?" Nathan asked feeling his anger rise at the sight of Brooke's tears.

"No baby, he didn't do anything wrong. He's excited to be an uncle and happy for us," Brooke replied.

"Good I don't have to kill him then."

Brooke laughed as she shook her head. Sometimes Nathan could be overbearing in his protectiveness but she knew he meant well and was doing it out of love and nothing else. Especially not obligation. Nothing Nathan did for Brooke was ever out of obligation and they both knew it.

"No baby you don't have to kill your brother. But I do still want to tell Karen," Brooke said still laughing.

"All right why don't we drive down to Tree Hill for the night? I'm sure we can stay with Karen or maybe Lucas will let us stay with him," Nathan replied. He knew his brother wasn't a fan of drop in visits but always made an exception when it was Nathan, Brooke, and/or Karen and Jason. His four favorite people.

"But Lucas hates when we just drop in on him."

"No he doesn't. Come on, it'll be fun. Let's go."

"Nathan it's 7:40 at night, by the time we get down to Tree Hill it'll be 11:30 or later. I don't know about you but I don't wanna wake Jason up and be stuck entertaining him to he tires himself out again. Let's call Karen and go down to Tree Hill in the morning. We can spend the day with Lucas if he's around."

Nathan nodded. He knew Brooke was right. It was late to be making the drive from their apartment in Danville, Virginia down to Tree Hill, North Carolina.

"Karen it's Brooke. I have something to tell you," Brooke said when Karen answered the phone.

"What's up sweetie? Are you and Nathan all right?" Karen asked nervously.

"We're fine. In fact, I was calling to tell you some good news about Nathan and I."

"What is it?"

"We're going to have a baby."

"Oh Brooke that's fantastic! Congratulations sweetheart." Karen was thrilled. She loved Brooke as if she was her own child. Brooke and Nathan were wonderful young adults and Karen had no doubts that they would provide a loving home for their child.

"Thank you Karen. It means a lot to Nathan and I that you're excited about this along with us."

"Who wasn't excited?"

Brooke didn't say anything. She wasn't really in the mood to think about Lucas' initial reaction.

"What did Lucas do? It was Lucas wasn't it?" Karen asked when Brooke didn't answer her question.

"Yes it was Lucas. But we talked today and it's resolved. He is excited. The initial shock kept him from seeming like he was excited. Everything's fine. He can't wait to spoil his niece or nephew."

"Good. That sounds more like my son."

Brooke laughed. That couldn't be further from the truth. Lucas was known for spoiling his family. He even spoiled Brooke when they weren't dated and she wasn't carrying his niece or nephew. That was just the kind of guy Lucas Scott was and it was part of the charm about him that Brooke loved so much.

"How's Jason?"

"He's more active than usual lately. Lucas has been taking him out to play at the park almost everyday while I'm at the café and checking on the auto shop. I couldn't bear to close it down after Jason was born. I'm thinking of keeping it running and then passing it on to him when he's older. I think Keith would want his son to run things."

"Oh Karen, it must be so hard on you to be there. But that's an amazing idea. I hope Jason appreciates the fact that his father built that shop from the ground up with his own money. I always thought it was amazing as a kid that Keith managed to achieve such a level of respectability with that body shop."

"Jason can't wait til he's old enough to work at the body shop. Lucas takes him there sometimes to have the guys show him how it runs. He's even looked at some of the cars with Lucas. My heart just swells with pride when Jason comes home excited about something he saw one of the guys do at the shop or when one of the guys lets him help with something on one of the cars."

Brooke was amazed. Jason was an amazing kid and he had one hell of an amazing older brother in Lucas. She only hoped that if she had multiple kids that they loved each other as much as Lucas loved Jason or Nathan and Lucas loved each other.

"All right well it's getting late and I'm sure you have to get up early to be at the café in the morning."

"Well it is getting late but I don't have to be at the café in the morning. It's Deb's morning to open."

"Enjoy the rest of your night. Give Jason a kiss for me."

"I will sweetie. Take care."

"All right you too. Bye Karen."

"Bye Brooke."

Brooke hung up and sighed happily. That conversation went much better than the initial conversations she had with Lucas about her pregnancy and she couldn't be more grateful. Nathan walked in and was glad to see a smile on Brooke's face.

"I take it your conversation went well," Nathan said.

"It did. She offers her congratulations Daddy," Brooke said with a smirk.

"Well Mommy what do you say we call it a night?"

"You're tired already?"

"Well my lovely girlfriend keeps me busy with all her needs and wants."

"Shut up, you love me."

"I do love you. God help me."

Brooke gasped and feigned a crushed pout. Nathan smiled as he grabbed her into his arms and kissed her firmly on the mouth.

"You're gonna need help if you don't be nice me."

"Baby I'm always nice to you. You are my world, you know that I'm alive because your love keeps me going."

"Nathan you're gonna make me sick."

It was Nathan's turn to pretend like he was hurt. Brooke giggled at him and kissed him sweetly. She knew how to make Nathan tick. It was fun. Sometimes she took it further than she needed to because the make up afterward was always great. Brooke thought that might have been how their child was created. During a night of make up sex. That thought alone made Brooke laugh.

"What?" Nathan asked.

"Do you realize our child was probably conceived during a night of "make up" sex?" Brooke asked hm.

"I do indeed. Our baby will have quite the story to tell when it gets older."

Brooke laughed and then tried to fight off a yawn. Maybe Nathan's thought to call it a night was a good one.

"Is Mommy ready for bed now?" Nathan teased.

"Yes. Baby's ready too. Come on Daddy. If we go to bed now we will be plenty rested for a full day of fun in Tree Hill tomorrow," Brooke shot back.

Nathan nodded in agreement. It was settled then, tomorrow they would go to Tree Hill for the day to see Lucas, Karen and Jason. And it didn't matter if they saw anyone else as long as they made sure to avoid one person in particular—Dan. Nathan so did not want to deal with that snake and he had no intention of telling him that Brooke was pregnant either and he was pretty sure Brooke would be just fine with that. No more than ten minutes later, Nathan and Brooke were ready for bed and the lights were out in their Danville apartment and it was only 9:06 PM.

"Good night baby," Nathan whispered to Brooke as he wrapped an arm protectively around her waist.

"Good night," Brooke replied barely audible.

Nathan smiled as he kissed the back of Brooke's head and closed his eyes drifting off to a peaceful night sleep with his arms around the woman he loved. The perfect way to sleep if there ever was one in Nathan's opinion.


	5. Phone Calls and Questions

Brooke was sitting at her desk in her office working on another freelance piece of writing. She was still waiting to hear about the job she had interviewed for a few weeks earlier. Her latest piece was about the success rate of kids who skip college and go straight to the NBA in comparison to the kids who wait and go to college first. Writing about basketball was one of Brooke's favorite topics to write about. It was right up there with fashion and cheerleading. There were even times Brooke did feature pieces on Nathan, Lucas and other players she met in college. The phone rang a minute later breaking into Brooke's concentration. Groaning she stopped typing and answered it when she remembered Nathan had gone down to the gym to workout for a little while.

"Hello," she said trying to keep the edge out of her voice.

"Hello, I'm looking for Brooke Davis," a young woman's voice replied.

"This is Brooke Davis. How can I help you?"

"I'm calling in regards to your interview with Mr. Blackburn at the South Boston Gazette a few weeks ago. He asked me to inform you that he's made his decision."

"Ok what has he decided?" Brooke was nervous. Her fate was hanging in the balance and if she had to be honest, she hated the feeling it was leaving in her stomach.

"I regret to inform you Miss Davis that while Mr. Blackburn feels you've got great potential to be a fantastic journalist he has decided to go another way."

"So I didn't get the job?"

"No ma'am."

"Thank you for letting me know." Brooke was disappointed. She had really wanted this job. How would she ever make it as a journalist if she couldn't get hired anywhere? This stung worse than anything in a long time.

"I'm sorry for having to disappoint you but I wish you the best of luck wherever you end up."

Brooke didn't say anything. She had nothing left to say that would even be considered remotely polite. Instead of waiting for the young woman to speak again, Brooke hung up the phone. She considered throwing it against the wall for a minute but then thought better of it when she remembered that they were down to one phone now, not counting their cell phones. Sighing heavily, Brooke placed the phone back on its charger and slammed her hand down on the keyboard.

"DAMN IT!" she hollered.

Brooke grabbed her cell phone and without realizing it, found herself dialing Peyton's number.

"Hello?" a voice answered.

"Peyton?" Brooke choked out hopefully.

"No this is her boyfriend, Jaime. But I can get her if you would like."

"Oh thanks."

"Peyton!" Jaime called to his girlfriend who was playing with their 2 year old son, Joaquin Luis Miguel Feliciano.

"Que papi?" Peyton called back.

"Phone."

"Quién es él?"

"Who is this?" Jaime asked turning back to the phone.

"Brooke," she answered.

"It's Brooke," Jaime told Peyton. He nearly dropped the phone when he heard her squeal and run toward him. She grabbed the phone quickly and left the room.

"Sweetie qué se está encendiendo? El papi no entiende!" Jaime called after his girlfriend in bewilderment.

"Brooke era mi mejor amigo durante mucho tiempo y no hemos hablado el uno al otro por cuatro años. Es un pasado complicado pero algo debe ser incorrecto si ella me está llamando otra vez," Peyton replied, impressed with how well her Spanish had improved.

"Brooke hi. What's um going on?" Peyton said turning her attention to the phone.

"I just I needed to talk to someone and Nathan's out and oh gosh, nothing is going my way right now. Except the baby and my relationship with Nathan," Brooke replied.

"Que?"

"Huh?" Brooke was confused.

"Sorry. Baby? Nathan? Brooke I'm gonna need more than that."

"I applied for a job at a newspaper in South Boston, VA and had an interview a few weeks ago. I got the call just now that I didn't get the job. I wanted that job so bad Peyton. Right now the only two things in my life that are going right, if you can call a surprise pregnancy right, are my relationship with Nathan and being pregnant."

"Whoa, whoa. You and Nathan are together and now you're pregnant?" Peyton was blown away.

"Dónde está la mama?" Joaquin asked Jaime.

"Mama en su dormitorio en el teléfono con un pequeño compinche del amigo," Jaime replied.

Joaquin seemed satisfied with that answer and went back to playing with his trucks. Jaime smiled at the boy and was grateful to be able to carry on the name of Feliciano. It meant everything to him after his brother Miguel was killed in a car accident back in Ponce when Jaime was a little boy. From what he was told, Jaime was about 8 years old when Miguel died. After Jaime was born his parents only had girls; six of them: Aaliyah, Carmen, Selena, Maria, Kaliyah and Adriana.

Peyton talked to Brooke for a little while longer and they both ended up crying and apologizing with promises to visit each other. Peyton told Brooke about Jaime and Joaquin and moving to Texas. Brooke told Peyton about being valedictorian at Miami and then moving to Virginia with Nathan and him and Lucas being drafted. She was careful to leave out Jake cause she wasn't sure how well that be received.

"So you've been pretty serious with Jaime huh Peyton?" Brooke asked after a while.

"Oh ya. I've learned to speak Spanish rather fluently. Both for Jaime's sake and for Joaquin, mostly Jaime and I only speak to Joaquin using Spanish," Peyton replied.

"That's cool. I'm sorry I wasn't around for the birth of your child."

"Hey it's no problem. We may not have been speaking at the time but I've always known in my heart that we did speak again that there was no one else I'd rather have as the godmother of my baby than you."

"Aw Peyt. That's so sweet. I don't deserve it though. I was such a bitch to you."

"Brooke none of that matters anymore. What matters is you picked up the phone and called me when you needed someone. Let's just face the facts. Neither of us wanted out of that friendship but we're two stubborn bitches who couldn't get out of our own way to see that then."

"Oh gosh Pey I missed you so much! You better get your white ass out here soon before I pop like a fricken balloon or worse, Nathan and I move up to New Jersey."

"I will Brooke. Jaime and Joaquin will come too. It'll be fun."

"Good. Well thanks for listening and reminding how stupid I was for letting go of your friendship. I promise to call more often and I want pictures of Joaquin. So get your ass online and hook me up bitch."

"Haha ok I will. Talk to you later chica."

"Bye Peyton."

"Bye Brooke."

Both girls hung up their respective phones and smiled. Brooke was so caught up in the conversation she just had with Peyton that it hadn't occurred to her that Nathan still wasn't back. She would have been worried if she didn't know where he was but Brooke knew Nathan hadn't been to the gym to workout in a while so she wasn't expecting him home anytime soon. But she couldn't wait to tell him that she had talked to Peyton. What she could wait to tell him about was the rejection from the newspaper.

"Oh well it's their loss," she said to herself as she went back to her story.

"Bebé debemos ir a Virginia a ver a Brooke pronto. No he visto que ella en un rato y ella es embarazada. Más quisiera que ella satisficiera a te y a Joaquín," Peyton said to Jaime as she came back into their living room and saw him lounging on the couch drinking another beer.

"Seguro cualquier cosa que deseas. Sabes que te daría el mundo si me pediste él mami," Jaime replied.

Peyton smiled. Jaime was a wonderful man. It never seemed to bother her that he was eight years older than she was. All she knew was that she loved him with her whole heart. And she was fairly certain he felt the same way about her.

"Te amo conejito del snuggle," Peyton whispered as she kissed Jaime softly.

"Te amo también angel," Jaime answered sweetly deepening the kiss not caring if they ended up making love right there on the couch where Joaquin might see them. In fact, the idea of anyone catching them turned Jaime on and Peyton felt it. She smiled against his mouth as she let her hands wander.

"Mami no embroma papi. Haré que endereces aquí si no tienes cuidado," Jaime said gruffly.

"Papi del Oh, mami que no embroman. Te deseo tan malo. Darmelo," Peyton replied as she ran her hands over his chest.

"Brooke! I'm back baby," Nathan said as he walked into the apartment a few hours later. He was greeted by the sound of furious typing. Smiling he walked down the hall to Brooke's office and stood in the doorway watching her type. This was Brooke's favorite thing to do now, sit and write furiously until she had nothing left to say.

"Oh hi, babe, I didn't hear you come in," Brooke said a few minutes later when she took a break from typing. She was working on another new piece. This one was a fictional piece based on the things she had been through in life. It was a tough piece to write but Brooke wanted to get it out there. Even if it didn't make it any further than her computer it was still out and that suited Brooke just fine.

"How was your day?" Nathan asked.

"Interesting," Brooke replied.

"Oh ya?"

"Ya, I got a call back about the job in South Boston."

"And?"

"I didn't get it."

"Aw baby I'm sorry. You must be crushed."

"I was but I'm better now."

"Oh and why's that?"

"I called Peyton."

"Wait what?"

"I was upset and absent mindedly called Peyton's number. She's living in Texas with her boyfriend Jaime and their son Joaquin, who's apparently my godson."

"Wow. That wasn't expected."

"You're telling me. Not only that but she apparently speaks fluent Spanish now. I feel like I missed so much but we agreed to put the past behind us and visit and stuff."

"Baby that's great. I'm glad you were able to work things out with Peyton. Next you have Haley to work stuff out with. Did you tell Peyton about her and Jake?"

"No I wasn't sure if that was a good idea."

"That was probably for the best anyway."

"So how was your day baby?"

"Long and tough. I shouldn't slack off so much with my working out. I need to get in shape and stay in shape or there's no way I'll have anything but a negative impact my first year in the pros and I would hate that."

"Sweetie you're an amazing athlete and you'll do fine. I have nothing but the utmost faith in you and I'll always be your biggest fan no matter what the outcome of your first year or last year in the pros might be."

Nathan smiled. He knew Brooke would say exactly what he needed to hear whether he knew he needed it or not. That was part of why he loved her so much. Suddenly it hit him. His moment was here. Suddenly, without warning, he spun Brooke's office chair around and dragged her out to the living room where he left a single white rose for her on the coffee table.

"Stay here for a minute," Nathan told her as he left the room to grab the ring box from its hiding place.

Thirty seconds later he sauntered back out to the living room watching Brooke watch him with a confused look on her face. As soon as he was directly in front of her, Nathan grabbed Brooke's hand, got down on his knee and looked her square in the eye.

"Brooke, you are my light and my world. Everything I do now is inspired by the love I hold for you and because I know you'll be there no matter what. I can't imagine life without you," he paused for a moment to grab the ring box and pop it open so Brooke could see the ring, "Would you please do me the honor of being my wife?"

Brooke couldn't believe what was happening. Nathan was in front of her, on one knee and he had asked her the one question she thought she would have to wait for years to hear.

"Yes," she said as the tears ran down her face.

Nathan slid the ring on her finger and felt tears welling up in his own eyes. Brooke brought out the best in him. He was thankful that she accepted his proposal.

"I love you so much," Nathan whispered in Brooke's ear.

"I love you too," Brooke whispered back.

Nathan grabbed Brooke into a tight embrace and danced with her. He didn't need music to dance with the love of his life. The rhythm of his heart that the love he felt created was music enough for him. Brooke loved that Nathan would randomly grab her into an embrace and dance with her, even when there wasn't any music. She rested her head on his shoulder and swayed with him. There was no better feeling than being happy and in love. Brooke was fortunate enough to have both and she owed a lot of it to Nathan.

"How's your day now?" Nathan asked.

"Perfect," Brooke replied.

Nathan smiled as he kissed her gently. Brooke kissed Nathan back as they continued to dance in the romantic silence of the apartment.

"Let's go out tonight. I think we should celebrate," Nathan said when they finally stopped dancing.

"I agree. But what, besides the obvious, is there to celebrate baby?" Brooke replied with a huge smile.

"Love and the fact that you and Peyton are speaking again. That's definitely worth celebrating don't you think?"

Brooke nodded. She couldn't agree more. Her life went from feeling like it was falling apart with very few exceptions to feeling like everything was coming together within a matter of hours. Happily she walked down to the bedroom to find something nicer than her jeans and tank top to go out in. Nathan followed behind her with the same idea with one addition, he desperately wanted to shower. He had showered before he left the gym but something about the water in their showers didn't leave him feeling as refreshed as he would like.

"We can pick a restaurant when I get out of the shower, ok, baby?" Nathan said as he walked toward the bathroom.

"Sounds good but I hope the baby will be happy with whatever we decide," Brooke answered.

Nathan nodded. He hoped so too. He didn't want anything to ruin this night. It was going to be a perfect night for them. They had so much to celebrate together and in Brooke's life.

As Brooke was changing, she decided to take a picture of the engagement ring on her finger and send it to Lucas. She grabbed her cell phone and took the picture. Seconds later she sent it with a message saying "now you're stuck with me forever bro love b". A few minutes later her phone was ringing. She answered it on the second ring.

"Hey Luke," she said.

"Welcome to the family sis," Lucas replied.

"Thanks."

"So my brother finally asked huh?"

"Yup."

"I was beginning to wonder when he'd ask."

Brooke laughed as she thought _so was I_.

"Ya I know the feeling."

It was Lucas' turn to laugh.

"All right well if I know my brother, and I'm pretty sure I do, you should probably be getting ready to go out. Tell him I said congratulations and to call me tomorrow."

"I will."

"Talk to you later."

"Of course you will. Love ya bro."

"Love ya too sis."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Brooke hung up the phone and sat down on the bed. She couldn't take her eyes off the ring. It amazed her how well Nathan had done picking out a ring. Although he had always been good at buying her jewelry. This was by far her favorite piece of jewelry from Nathan and it made her happy to think about the commitment it now represented. A promise to stay together and get married. Just thinking about getting married made Brooke smile. She'd have to design her dress and the bridesmaid dresses. She never could find anything she liked in the stores anyway so she knew it would be pointless to even try.

A few minutes later Nathan was walking into the bedroom only wearing a towel. Brooke couldn't help but smirk at the sight of her fiancé in a towel. She smiled at how easily she had made the transition from referring to Nathan as her boyfriend to her fiancé now. And then soon he would be her husband and the father of her child. Life sure was looking up for Brooke Davis and she couldn't be happier with any other man.

"I love you," she said she wrapped her arms around Nathan's waist.

"I love you too," he replied.

This relationship was definitely Brooke's definition of fairytale romance. Even when they fought she felt like she was living in a fairytale. Nothing anyone said could make her love Nathan any less. Sometimes she wondered if it was possible to love him more than she did, then she looked at her ring and then her stomach and knew that it was absolutely possible love him more. She could only hope that love never faded. With that thought in her mind she set about getting changed to go to dinner. Knowing it would end up being somewhere dressy, Brooke grabbed a medium length tan skirt, black cami and red blouse to throw over it. Satisfied she ran her hands through her hair and left to fix her makeup in the bathroom.

"Baby you don't need any makeup you look perfect just the way you are," Nathan said to her knowing where she was going.

"I appreciate the compliment babe but I was just touching up what I did this morning. Nothing extra," Brooke answered him.

Nathan smiled as he grabbed a pair of khakis and a white button down shirt out of his closet and got dressed. After he was dressed he grabbed a pair of socks from his dresser and then put his dressier shoes on and left the room. He walked down the hall and watched Brooke touch up her makeup. He loved to watch her except when she was going to the bathroom. He drew the line there because it not only freaked him out, but it also made Brooke sick. She smiled when she spotted him watching her in the mirror.

"Italian sound good to you and the baby?" he asked.

"Sounds good to me but baby will let me know the verdict after I eat it," she responded.

"Ok."

It was settled. They would go to the Italian restaurant in South Boston. It was a favorite of theirs and it made perfect sense to Nathan that they went there for dinner. He walked into the bathroom when Brooke was done with her makeup and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and kissed her neck.

"Come on Nathan, your child is hungry," Brooke laughed.

"Hey that's your baby too," Nathan shot back with a grin.

"I know."

"All right let's go."

He grabbed her hand and they left the apartment to enjoy a celebratory dinner.

Hope ya'll enjoyed that! And for the Spanish translations go to http/translate. As always…R&R! I'm loving the responses so far. Chapter 6 should be up soon. Maybe tonight and if not definitely sometime tomorrow.


	6. Screaming at Haley & Lucas Hears Someone

Another month had gone by and Brooke was starting to show more physical signs of being pregnant. It was also getting close to time for Nathan to report to training camp in New Jersey so for the past few weeks he had been packing up the contents of their apartment. Brooke offered to help but he always insisted he was all set and that if he wasn't Lucas would come help him. They had gone to New Jersey a few days after Nathan proposed and looked at houses all over the state they ended up settling on a house in Hackensack. It was a two-story Victorian style house with a decent sized yard which was important to them and the school system seemed to have a good reputation, also important.

"Nathan why aren't you letting me help you? I feel bad. I'm laying on the couch and you're boxing up the entire apartment. Normally I wouldn't want to do that kind of stuff but this isn't right," Brooke called from the living room.

"Sweetie it's all right. I don't want you doing anything to hurt yourself or the baby. Besides the doctor told you not to do any lifting during the moving process anyway and you agreed," Nathan replied from the kitchen.

The kitchen was the first room Nathan was tackling because he figured if he made sure they had paper plates, napkins, plastic cups, plastic flatware and garbage bags they could live off take out till the end of the week when they would be making the drive up to New Jersey to begin their life in the northeast. He was glad they found a house they both loved in a nice neighborhood with excellent schools. Nathan also liked the fact that there was a park down the road with basketball hoops. Not only so he could teach his child to play basketball but so he could workout too.

"I know I agreed but baby I'm bored!"

Nathan laughed. Of course she was bored. There was only so much time Brooke could spend lounging around doing absolutely nothing.

"Watch a movie baby. I haven't touched those yet."

"Ugh, I don't want to. We don't have anything good."

Nathan laughed again. This was not good. He couldn't let her help but he didn't want her to whine all day about her boredom if she wasn't gonna take him up on his suggestion either. Then he got an idea. He reached for his phone and called his brother.

"Hey Lucas will come take my beautiful fiancé out for a while. She's bored and I can't let her help me pack up the apartment," Nathan asked.

"All right give me a few minutes. Tell her to stop whining and I'll bring her some ice cream," Lucas replied.

"Ok thanks bro."

"You're welcome."

Nathan hung up and put his phone back in his pocket.

"I heard you begging your brother to come get me out of here. Thanks Nathan I love you too!" Brooke shouted playfully.

"You're welcome baby. You know I love you. And he said to tell you if stop whining about being bored he'll bring you ice cream," Nathan yelled back.

"Oh the bribery. How will I ever handle it?"

"I'm sure you'll manage princess."

"Shut up, I told you before I'm not a princess."

"And I told you that you are because you are my princess."

"Ok I give."

"That was too easy. Is Brooke Davis getting softer with her pregnancy?"

"Nope I'm just not one for turning down a compliment from my handsome and loving fiancé."

"Oh and what if I wasn't handsome?"

"You'll always be handsome to me so you never have to worry about that."

"Good."

Brooke was about to say something else but the buzzer cut her off. Happily she got up from the couch and went to answer the door. She was expecting to see Lucas standing there holding ice cream but instead found herself standing face to face with Haley. She was stunned into silence.

"Uh…hi, Haley, this is quite a surprise," Brooke finally managed to say as she stepped back to let Haley into the apartment.

"Oh gosh, baby, I'm so sorry. I forgot to tell you that Haley asked to come by and I said I thought it would okay," Nathan called from the other room when he heard Brooke say Haley's name.

"Don't worry about it, Nathan. It's fine. I just thought it was gonna be Lucas standing there with my ice cream."

Haley was standing silently listening to Brooke and Nathan. She remembered when she talked to Nathan that way and he talked to her that way. But then again it had never been exactly like that. He hadn't loved her the way it was clear that he loved Brooke.

"Haley, I'm sorry I didn't mean to ignore you. Let's go sit down in the living room and talk," Brooke said to her friend a minute later.

"It's all right," Haley replied nervously. It had been years since she had really talked to Brooke and there was so much she wanted to tell her now.

"Ok so this isn't exactly going to be the most fun conversation we've ever had but you and I know we need to have this conversation," Brooke started as they sat on the couch in the living room.

"I know. Brooke before we dive into the seriousness, I just want you to know I'm sorry for ditching you when I should have been standing by your side. I was being selfish and only thinking about myself. I wanted to do the music thing and I got my opening at the same time you lost your mom and got into that nasty fight with Peyton. I felt like shit for leaving you then but the music was calling my name," Haley answered.

"Haley you don't know how much that fucking hurt me to see you basically say 'screw you Brooke, my music means more to me than you do and I don't care if that hurts you'. I mean that really, really hurt. I needed you, I had no one then except Lucas and that wasn't enough. I needed you because I didn't want Peyton around. She pissed me off. You always listened to me and helped me, then out of nowhere while I'm grieving the loss of my mother and losing the greatest friendship of my life, you decide to leave for your music. That sucked."

Brooke had tears in her eyes and she didn't bother wiping them away or stopping them from falling. She knew the second she saw Haley at the door that there would be tears shed once they started talking it didn't surprise her at all that she was the first one to cry.

"Brooke I feel terrible for doing that you to but I can't go back and fix it. I wish I could."

"That doesn't take away the hurt Haley! Damn it you knew how much it hurt me to have to bury my mother at 17 years old. You knew damn well that I wasn't strong enough to handle that even though I made sure to show otherwise on the outside. While most of the time I've been pissed at you for what you did four and a half years ago, there are times when I'm grateful too. Had you not done that and left me high and dry, I wouldn't have had Nathan there for me. I wouldn't have realized how much I loved him. And God knows I love him more than life itself. Now I'm sitting here, engaged to a fabulous guy and carrying his child. So as much as your actions hurt me, thank you."

Haley wiped the tears that had fallen from her eyes and sat on the couch silently just looking at Brooke. She had no idea what to say now. It relieved her to know that Brooke didn't hate her although she felt that she probably deserved to have Brooke hate her and throw her out of the apartment. That's when Haley knew something had changed in Brooke. The old Brooke would have thrown Haley out without bothering to listen or not caring that they needed to talk.

"Why would you not tell me you gave up music and then went back to school, met up with Jake, married him and then had children with him? What the fuck Hales!"

"I'm sorry Brooke. I really am. I didn't think you'd want to talk to me after the way I bailed on you for my music. Fear of really losing you kept me away."

"That's crap and you know it."

"No it's not! Damn it Brooke why don't you believe me. I'm so fucking sorry I don't know how else to tell you." Haley had tears pouring down her face and she was on the verge of sobbing.

"No, Haley. You don't get to be upset. Nobody walked away from you. Nobody! You walked away from me. I trusted you, I respected you and how do you repay that trust and respect? You spit in my face when I needed you the most and bailed on me. I want to forgive you and establish friendship again but right now I just want to slap the shit out of you. So thanks for coming over, I'm glad we got that cleared up but please get out of my apartment. I can't deal with this shit anymore."

"All right. I'll be around if you decide you want to talk again at some point."

"Right. Bye Hales."

"Bye Brooke."

Haley rose from the couch and left the apartment. As soon as the door was shut, Brooke broke out into a fresh round of sobs. That was a lot more emotionally draining then she wanted to ever deal with again. It was surprising that her conversation with Peyton hadn't gotten that intense but then again Peyton didn't bail on Brooke, Brooke cut ties with Peyton. She sat on the couch curled into a ball with her arms folded over her stomach sobbing. Nathan had stopped packing when he heard the girls getting louder and more upset. He walked into the living room and the state he found Brooke in broke his heart. Part of him felt like it was his fault because he said it was ok that Haley came over. But he knew that Brooke needed to talk to Haley. They may not have had a history like the one Brooke had with Peyton but Nathan knew how much Brooke had been devastated when Haley left. He dropped down onto the couch and scooped Brooke up into his arms.

"Shh, baby it's all right. It'll all work out. Trust me," Nathan whispered as he held her tightly. They were still in that same position when the buzzer went off again. Nathan carefully untangled himself from Brooke's body and got up to answer the door. Relief washed over him when he saw Lucas standing there with ice cream and a stuffed animal.

"She's on the couch. Haley was here and they talked so that's why she's crying," Nathan whispered to Lucas as he closed the door behind his brother.

"Ok," Lucas replied as he grabbed a small stack of napkins and went into the living room.

"Hey Lucas," Brooke whispered hoarsely when she spotted him.

"Hey Brooke," Lucas replied as he sat down and wrapped her into a hug.

Brooke spotted the ice cream and smiled. It was funny how much the elder Scott boys spoiled her, even though she was only engaged to one of them.

"It'll be ok, you'll see."

Brooke nodded. Lucas handed her the ice cream which happily accepted. When she was done she spotted the stuffed animal and eyed it curiously.

"Not for you. For the baby," Lucas explained when he noticed Brooke looking at the stuffed animal he was holding. He turned it so Brooke could see that it was a puppy dressed in a basketball uniform. She giggled relentlessly when she realized Lucas had gone to Build-a-Bear for this stuffed animal.

"You went to Build-a-Bear didn't you?" she asked him.

"Yes I did," Lucas replied.

"Uncle Luke went to Build-a-Bear baby. Just for you." Brooke rubbed her hand across her stomach as she spoke to the baby.

"Aw Luke, you were in Build-a-Bear? Great you're outthinking me now," Nathan teased from the doorway.

"Oh stop it Nathan, you spoil me and this baby more than I've ever seen anyone get spoiled. One stuffed animal is not gonna kill your rep as the king spoiler," Brooke told him.

"Oh I know." He looked at Lucas and nodded his head in the direction of the door.

Lucas was slightly confused but followed Nathan anyone. The two of them stood in the hallway outside the apartment. Nathan had a massive surprise for Brooke but he didn't want her to overhear him telling Lucas about the surprise.

"Nate what's up man?" Lucas asked.

"I found the perfect crib, changing table and dressers for the baby's room. Brooke wants to design the theme of the room herself which is fine. But the furniture I found is white so it can be painted any color to match whatever theme she goes with. I'm gonna need your help moving it into the room we designated for the baby though," Nathan replied.

"Sure bro. When are you going up there to do that?"

"Tomorrow. Is that ok?"

"Ya that's fine. But does Brooke know you're going up to Jersey tomorrow?"

"Of course I told her I was gonna pack up the kitchen and her office today and then take everything up to Jersey tomorrow. She's coming too but I figure I can keep her occupied with setting up her office in the house after I put her desk and book cases together while we take care of the furniture in the baby's room."

"And you're sure you can pull this off?"

"Lucas, you underestimate me."

"Sorry bro. Ok so tomorrow we're going up to Jersey and then when do you have to be entirely out of the apartment by?"

"End of the week. I figured since today's Tuesday we could be out by Friday and that will give me the entire weekend to get everything that's too heavy for Brooke to lift out of their boxes and where they belong and she can do some small stuff."

"Sounds good. You know I could go up for the day on Sunday if you need extra help."

"I'll keep that in mind."

The two walked back into the apartment and the quietness that had fallen over the apartment baffled them both. Nathan walked into the living room to find Brooke sound asleep on the couch holding the stuffed dog Lucas had brought over for the baby. He lifted her off the couch carefully and carried her into the bedroom, gently placing her on the bed and covering her up with the blanket. He kissed the top of her head and walked out of the room closing the door softly behind him.

"She's sound asleep. Being pregnant and arguing with people takes a lot out of her," Nathan told Lucas.

"I'm sure it does. How bad was her argument with Hales?" Lucas asked.

"It was pretty nasty. They both screamed at each other. She swore at Haley a few times and then it ended with Brooke calmly kicking Haley out. It was the weirdest argument I've ever heard either one of them have. Then to go into the living room to find Brooke on the couch bawling after Haley left was heart breaking. I felt bad because Haley called and asked me if she could come talk to Brooke and I told her it was ok without asking Brooke first."

"Nathan, you and I know that Brooke won't be mad at you for the screaming that went on between her and Haley. She needed to talk to Haley and I'm sure she needed to scream too. I remember how much the pain of Haley just leaving was written all over Brooke's face even though she tried to hide it."

"Luke it was terrible. Never in my life could I have imagined something like the shouting match I heard today happening. I know Brooke gets into when she really gets going but I was mildly horrified. Despite that I knew Haley deserved it all and I'm sure Haley knew it too. She screwed up and she got what she deserved. An earful from the one she pissed off and crushed."

Lucas would always have a certain devotion to Haley but in this instance, he knew Nathan was right. She had been a bitch to leave when she did. Brooke's mother had just died and her friendship with Peyton had crumbled and Haley decided that there was no better time to leave to pursue her dream of a successful music career. If Lucas had been in Brooke's shoes he didn't think he would be able to talk to her, never mind see her in his apartment unexpectedly. It broke his heart to think his best friend growing up who was a sweet person who always put others first had grown to be a self-centered bitch who only thought about what she wanted and what was best for her life. That was not the Haley James he knew and loved. That was a side of Haley he never cared to see or hear about again.

"Hey man while you're still here you wanna help me finish the kitchen so I can get started on Brooke's office before it gets real late and I don't wanna do anything else?" Nathan asked breaking the silence.

"Sure no problem. Let's go," Lucas replied.

Between the two of them it took two hours to finish up in the kitchen with taking dishes out of the cabinets and the dishwasher and packing them in boxes and wiping down the flat surfaces and throwing away whatever food they wouldn't be eating in the next few days. After that was taken care of the two of them moved onto Brooke's office. That took them about six hours to do because there were so many files that needed to boxed and then labeled along with all the picture frames she had put around the room that needed to be wrapped and then packed. The last thing they touched in the office was Brooke's laptop. Nathan didn't dare pack that yet, instead he put it in her bag and left it in the living room so she could still write before they moved.

"Wow this room looks so empty," Brooke said as she stood in the doorway a few minutes later making Nathan and Lucas both jump.

"Baby, I thought you were sleeping," Nathan said when he turned around.

"I was but now I'm awake. Thank you for doing this for me baby. I really appreciate it."

"No problem."

"I can't wait to begin our life together in New Jersey and then I'll be waiting in excited anticipation for our baby to join us in our life."

"It's gonna be great and you, my love, will be the best mother the baby could dream of." Nathan kissed her sweetly as she smiled at his words. He never failed to shower her with compliments.

Lucas told Nathan he was gonna head out and get something for them for dinner and then he'd be back. Nathan nodded at his brother and then turned his attention back to his fiancé. Smiling mischievously he took her by the hand and led her to the bedroom closing the door behind them. He led her to the bed and they laid there kissing for a while before Nathan began undressing Brooke. He felt the desire to make love to her increasing as each piece of clothing hit the floor exposing more skin.

"Nathan," she breathed.

"Brooke I love you and I need you right now," he replied as he pulled shirt over his head before lying her back down on the bed. He undid his pants and let them fall to the floor. Slowly he walked over to where Brooke was now sitting with her elbows holding her up on the bed, her entire body fully exposed. Nathan grew more excited as his eyes moved down the length of her body. She grinned at him as she pulled his boxers down. He stepped out of them and pushed Brooke back so she was flat on the bed. He slid himself inside her and moved slowly loving every second of their current escapade.

They were still going at it when Lucas came back with the food. Lucas was about to open the bedroom door but stopped when he heard Brooke moaning. He quickly turned around and went into the living room and turned on the tv while he waited for them.

"Crap Lucas how long have you been back?" Brooke asked when she walked into the living room wearing Nathan's boxers and a tank top.

"Long enough to know how you two occupied yourselves while I was gone," Lucas replied with a laugh.

"Shit bro. Please tell me you didn't hear anything," Nathan said when he joined them wearing only basketball shorts.

"Not a thing."

Brooke looked at Lucas and she knew he was lying. Something told her that it wasn't Nathan that he heard but it was her. She knew she was loud but was she really _that_ loud?

"You heard us didn't you?" Nathan asked him.

"Not you," Lucas replied.

Yup, Brooke was right. Lucas had only heard her moaning. Oh well. It wasn't the first time and it wouldn't be the last either. They all decided to drop the subject and go eat dinner. Lucas had gone to Taco Bell and brought back a bunch of tacos. Surprisingly Brooke happily dug in. The boys watched her and laughed.

"What? The baby's hungry," she said trying to defend herself.

"Nothing sweetie. You're just too cute, that's all," Nathan said as he kissed some taco meat off her lip.


	7. Long Day

"Brooke, come on, we're here," Nathan said as he pulled into their driveway of their new house in Jersey. Since it was a long drive, Nathan and Lucas decided it would be better if they left during the night so they could have the day light to work on the house. Brooke, however, wanted no part in getting up to sit in the car for nine hours. The only thing that worked was the promise of sleep in the car.

"Shut up," Brooke mumbled.

"Baby, come on. I wanna show you something I bought for the baby."

Brooke eyes flew open. Nathan bought something for the baby? When did that happen and why hadn't he told her before? Nathan laughed when he saw her open her eyes and sit up. No less than ten seconds later was Brooke out of the car waiting for Nathan so he could let them in. Right now they still only had one key to the house. Nathan promised Brooke he would go to the WalMart and make another copy before they went back to Virginia. He hated that she didn't have a key to their home.

"What did you do? Promise her sex if she woke up?" Lucas asked with a smirk when he saw how fast Brooke had opened her eyes.

"No smart ass, I told her I bought something for the baby that I wanted to show her," Nathan replied, slapping Lucas in the chest.

Lucas nodded knowing Brooke would love the baby furniture. He thought it was nice looking stuff and Nathan was right, it could be painted any color to match whatever color scheme Brooke decided to go with.

"Nathan! Open the door already!" Brooke whined.

"Sorry baby, I'm coming," Nathan said he turned and walked up the path to the front door.

As soon as the three of them were in the house Brooke ran up the stairs to the baby's room. She opened the door and was blown away by what she saw. White baby furniture set up around the room. Each piece was gorgeous and Brooke smiled when she thought about how long it had to have taken Nathan to pick out each one. She knew him enough to know that he didn't just settle for something, especially when it came to her or the baby. She was so enthralled with everything she didn't hear Nathan come up the stairs or into the baby's room.

"What do you think baby?" he asked her.

"The furniture is gorgeous baby," she replied.

"But?"

"It's all white."

"I know."

"Why is it all white?"

"Because black or brown would be hard to paint over."

Brooke looked at him questioningly. He chuckled when he realized Brooke didn't understand the purpose behind him buying all white furniture.

"I don't get it," she admitted.

"If I had gotten black or brown you wouldn't have been able to paint them to match the color scheme when you know what you're gonna do with the room. I wanted you to be able to have the freedom to paint them to match if you wanted to," Nathan explained.

"Nathan you're amazing. I love you."

"I love you too."

Nathan grabbed Brooke into a strong embrace and kissed her softly. She allowed herself to get lost in the kiss and Nathan's embrace. There wasn't any other place she felt this strong or safe. Nathan was her strength and her security, without him Brooke would have fallen apart years ago.

"Hey you two, don't christen the baby's room," Lucas teased as he walked by carrying a box labeled "Brooke's office" in big letters, "Where's your office gonna be Brooke?"

"Next room over. I wanna be able to work and hear the baby," Brooke replied.

Lucas nodded and walked the box into the room Brooke said was going to be her office. She couldn't wait to design the office but she needed Nathan and Lucas to set up her desk and bookcases before she could put her creative touch in the room. She loved that the walls were a soft purple with a darker purple for the trim around the door. The door was painted red so she would always be remembered as "the girl behind the red door". Nathan chuckled but told the painter it was what Brooke wanted. When they bought the house this room was completely white, the brightness made Brooke's head hurt so Nathan found a professional painter to come in and take care of the rooms they wanted changed, starting with her office and excluding the baby's room. That was entirely Brooke's territory but nothing could be done until the sex of the baby was determined.

"Sweetie, when do we find out the sex of the baby?" Nathan asked. He wanted her to be able to work on the room before she was really showing and couldn't do much.

"Soon Daddy," Brooke replied smiling at him.

"What do you think about setting up a game room and music studio in the basement?"

"Why do we need a music studio? You don't sing and I can't sing it's not in my genes."

"You can sing. Baby I've heard you, it sounds beautiful when you sing."

Brooke blushed. Damn him for pouring on the flattery. It was no secret to Brooke that she could sing but she didn't think they needed an entire music studio set up in their house because of that fact. Although she had to admit it would be fun and if she ever stopped being pissed at Haley the two of them could go down there to write and record whenever without having to spend the money to book studio time anywhere. Ok maybe a music studio in the house was a good idea.

"Okay honey, let's do it. Music studio and a game room downstairs, just promise me you won't spend all your time down there playing your video games," Brooke said after a few minutes.

"I promise I won't. I'd rather spend time with you and the baby after it's born. I'm gonna be away far too much to spend all my time home down there. Should we make a separate playroom for when the baby's older or no?"

"Not yet."

"Okay."

"What do you want to do with the loft?"

Nathan thought for a minute. It hadn't occurred to him that they would have that extra space. He wanted a space to workout but didn't think it would be smart to have it be above everything else in the house. He didn't want to be the reason Brooke couldn't sleep before she had the baby and then once the baby was born he didn't want to be another reason she wasn't sleeping well. Then he got an idea, the loft could be used as a space to display their accomplishments like trophies, diplomas and other things. Then as they got more they could put them in there and then when their child achieved some sort of recognition they could display it there as well. A family recognition space, Nathan loved that idea.

"How about a family recognition space. Like for trophies, diplomas, awards and stuff. I've always wanted to hang my Tree Hill jersey on the wall to remind myself of Whitey's effect on me getting this far. And now I can add my Golden Knights jersey. And we can hang up your Tree Hill cheerleader outfit if you want," Nathan suggested.

Brooke thought about it for a minute. It did sound like a good idea but she wasn't sure she'd want to have to take people up to the loft to show off their successes in life. She wanted that kind of room but not in the loft.

"I love that idea but not for the loft. Nobody will want to go up there for that. Sorry baby," Brooke said.

"It's ok. I didn't think about people not wanting to go up there. Thank God I have you to think of that for me."

"You should be thankful you have me around to think of a lot of things for you."

"Baby what I do without you?"

"I dunno but I know I'd be lost without you."

"Oh geez, are we having a moment?" Lucas teased when he found Nathan and Brooke still standing in the baby's room.

"Shut up. Go find yourself a girl and have a moment with her," Brooke shot at him. A look of hurt shot through Lucas' eyes as Brooke's words hit him. He would never have a moment with the woman he loved again. Not as long as she was six feet under because of her abusive ex-boyfriend. Brooke saw the look in his eyes and felt bad automatically. She knew what he was thinking about—Melissa—his girlfriend who was killed when he was at Florida.

Melissa had gone home to Michigan for what was supposed to be a quick trip one weekend and then never came back. Melissa's father had called Lucas with the devastating news that she had been killed but Brooke couldn't remember right then how it happened. All she could remember was the phone call from Nathan that night telling her that they should go to Gainesville to be with Lucas for a few days because he had just found out Melissa was dead. Brooke had agreed.

Brooke was in her dorm room working on a paper for her philosophy class when her cell phone rang. She wanted to finish her paper but the phone wouldn't stop. Sighing she checked the caller id and smiled when she saw "Baby" flashing at her.

_"Hey sexy," she said happily._

_"Hey Brooke," Nathan replied not nearly as happily._

_"What's wrong?"_

_"We need to go to Gainesville."_

_"Why? What happened to Lucas? Is he all right?"_

_"No. Melissa's dead."_

_"What? How did this happen?"_

_"I don't know. He just called me. Her dad called to tell him a few minutes ago. Brooke, he's in bad shape. I've never heard him sobbing so hard on the phone. I'm going up there tomorrow and I'm sure he'd love it if you came too."_

_"Oh my gosh. Okay. I'll be there."_

_"Good. Well I guess I'll see you tomorrow. I wish it was for a good reason though."_

_"Me too. I love you baby."_

_"I love you too."_

_Brooke hung up the phone and sat in absolute silence. Melissa was dead. This was so unfair. She was a sweet girl and Lucas loved her with everything in him, Brooke knew they belonged together and now it was over. _

_"Damn it!" she yelled. _

"Brooke? Are you ok?" Nathan asked looking at her with a concerned expression.

"Ya I'm fine. Why do you ask?" Brooke replied.

"You look like you want the ground to open up under you and swallow you. Are you sure you're ok?"

"I think so. I just I can't believe I said that to Luke."

"Hey don't worry about it. Luke will be fine, he knows you well enough to know you didn't say that to hurt him. You're not that kind of person."

"Anymore."

"Hey, you were never that kind of person." Nathan hated when Brooke talked down about herself. Even when she was referring to herself in the past. None of that mattered to him now. What mattered was Brooke was an amazing woman and he was gonna marry her and have a family with the most amazing woman he knew.

"Sweetie, you and I both know I was a self-centered, cold-hearted bitch when I wanted to be."

"No you weren't. You were a selfless, warm-hearted angel with a tough outer shell because you didn't want people who didn't know the real you to see that part of you. The part of you that has allowed me all the way in."

Brooke felt her cheeks grow warm again. Damn him, twice in one day he had made her blush. It drove her nuts to blush and yet he took any chance he could to make it happen. After a while Brooke decided the blushing was well worth it if it meant she was with the one person she was meant to be with, even with his annoying quirks.

"Hey Nate! Are you gonna help me with this stuff or what?" Lucas called from the bottom of the stairs.

"Sure, just a sec!" Nathan yelled back.

"Go ahead baby I wanna get started with my office. It's gonna take me a while but I have some good ideas for what to do with it," Brooke told him when he looked at her, "I'll be fine. You wanted to get things done too. Now let me get my stuff done."

"All right just be careful. Do not lift anything heavy."

"I won't. Now go."

Nathan kissed Brooke quickly and then went downstairs to help Lucas bring the rest of the boxes in from the U-Haul they had rented. They worked in silence for a while before Nathan attempted to bring up Brooke's comment from earlier in the day.

"She didn't mean for it to hurt Luke," he said.

"I know she didn't. It's hard on me, that's all. Melissa was definitely the one for me and someone took her away," Lucas replied. He definitely knew Brooke wasn't trying to be rude or hurt his feelings but if he had to tell the truth, it did hurt. A lot.

"I know it doesn't make it hurt any less but I thought you should know anyway."

"Thanks man. I appreciate it."

"No problem."

"Baby! I need you to come set up my desk. Please!" Brooke yelled from her office.

"Coming darling!" Nathan yelled back. He looked at Lucas and rolled his eyes playfully. It was going to be a looong day for everybody. But it would all be worth it in the end because they would be almost entirely moved into their house by the next day.

"Hey you proposed, now you're stuck with her bro," Lucas said to Nathan when he rolled his eyes.

"Lucas! I heard that!" Brooke yelled down to them.

"Busted," Nathan laughed.

Lucas shoved Nathan and then ran for the stairs. After Nathan steadied himself on his feet again, he ran up the stairs behind Lucas trying to catch him. It was like they 7 years old and playing some form of tag through out the house. Brooke was waiting for them in the doorway of her office with her arms folded across her chest and an attempted serious scowl on her face. She couldn't hold the scowl when she saw Lucas and Nathan running up the stairs though and she instantly burst out laughing.

"You guys are too funny," she said after she caught her breath again.

"He started it," Nathan told her pointing his finger in Lucas' direction.

"Did not," Lucas protested.

The three of them erupted in laughter again when they realized how insane they were being. After they had stopped laughing Nathan and Lucas got to work setting up Brooke's desk and her bookcases. While they were working Brooke stood out of the way and thought about where she was going to put certain items around the room. As she was thinking about it, her cell phone started ringing. She looked down and saw "Peyton" flashing.

"Hey Peyton, what's up?" Brooke answered happily.

"Hey Brooke," Peyton replied not so happily.

"Are you ok?" Brooke could hear the emotion in Peyton's voice and it worried her instantly. Peyton had never liked to show her true emotions, she liked to hide behind a wall that would keep people out, except Brooke.

"No. I'm miserable. I needed to talk to you."

"Ok, I'm listening. What's wrong?"

"It's Jaime. I don't think you'll get to meet him."

"How come? What happened?"

"He got into some trouble with the government here in Texas and now they're trying to have him deported."

"Can they do that?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

"How though? Wasn't Joaquin born in the US?"

"Yes but since I'm already an American citizen I don't know if they could deport him or not even if they take that into consideration."

"What did he do?"

Peyton was silent. She couldn't imagine that Brooke would approve of her being with Jaime when she knew he was dealing drugs and had gotten himself involved in various other illegal activities. It didn't thrill Peyton but she couldn't help loving him regardless because despite all the bad shit, he was still sweet to her and absolutely adored their son and that meant the world to Peyton.

"Peyton? Are you still there?"

"Ya I'm still here."

"What did Jaime do?"

"He got busted for selling drugs and some other stuff."

"What? Peyton why are you with him if he's selling drugs? I thought you were smarter than that. I thought my friends would know not do stupid shit like that. I guess I was wrong. You know Peyton, your idiocy never ceases to amaze me."

"You know what Brooke, go to hell. I didn't call you for a damn lecture about who I chose to be with. I called because I thought you'd be sympathetic because the father of my child might get kicked out of this country. I thought you cared about me. I guess I was wrong."

"I do care Peyton! That's why I'm pissed that you'd be involved with someone who's selling drugs and you know he was selling drugs. So don't try telling me you didn't know. Cause you should know me well enough to know I'll see right through it."

"Whatever Brooke. I thought you'd want to know that your godson might grow up fatherless. Thanks so much for not caring."

"Whatever. I don't have time to fight with you about this shit. Bye."

Brooke didn't bother waiting for Peyton say anything before she slammed her cell phone shut angrily. How could Peyton be so stupid? Hadn't she learned her lesson about getting involved with the wrong guy? Brooke had thought so after she dated the guy in high school who used to beat her up and drank and smoked up more than anyone she had ever seen in her life. Oh well, it wasn't Brooke's problem she wasn't gonna worry about it.

"Babe is everything ok?" Nathan asked a few minutes later.

"I'm fine. Peyton's not but whatever that's her problem," Brooke replied giving Nathan a look that let him know she didn't wanna talk about it anymore. He shrugged his shoulders and went back to work.

"Don't be so hard on her babe. You've both been through some tough stuff in the last four and a half years. I don't care if you don't wanna talk about it right now but I know you agree that you're happy she's back in your life and I don't wanna see you screw that up for yourself."

"Nathan, don't. I'm not gonna let you guilt me into calling and apologizing. She needs to learn that I'm not gonna pat her back and pretend like everything's gonna be ok when I don't agree with whatever's she doing or she's involved with. It's her life, whatever. I'm not saying I'd leave her for dead if I knew she was in serious dangerous but this wasn't about her, it was about her boyfriend. She's dating a drug dealer! I can't support that or pretend like I agree with that. You know I don't and she knows it too!"

Brooke was furious. She should have known Nathan would pull something like that. He never did like to see her upset about something. Normally she would find it really sweet and cute but this time she wanted to strangle him for it. He couldn't make her change her mind. Peyton screwed up by dating a drug dealer and she was gonna have to face the possibility of losing her guy without Brooke to lean on.

Nathan looked at Brooke and knew immediately she was furious. But she also made it perfectly clear that her mind was made up. Peyton was on her own this time-period. He really wished Brooke wouldn't be so stubborn but he knew her better than that. Stubborn was her unwritten middle name and she made sure the whole world knew it. Sighing in defeat Nathan finished what he was doing in her office and then he left with Lucas to let Brooke get started with the designing.

"Brooke, seriously don't be so hard on Peyton," Lucas said as he squeezed her shoulders before following Nathan out of the room.

Brooke wanted to hit them both. She wasn't being hard on Peyton. She wasn't being anything to Peyton because she refused to get involved with this problem. It was frustrating to her because she just wanted to be left alone about this whole thing. Her life wasn't affected so it was her choice to keep it that way. Nobody could tell her to be nice to Peyton or help Peyton out except for herself and she had no intention of doing either in this situation.

"Shut up! I don't wanna hear anything else about Peyton from either of you for the rest of this trip. Period!" Brooke screamed.

Nathan and Lucas looked at each other and cringed. They both knew they were screwed because now Brooke was pissed at them. This was truly gonna be a long day.


	8. Goodbye Virginia

Nathan and Brooke were laying on the couch in their Danville apartment watching a movie. It was their last night in Virginia and they had opted to stay in and watch movies because Brooke got tired easily and was constantly going to the bathroom as she was further along in her pregnancy.

"Baby are you ready for the next chapter in our lives?" Nathan asked Brooke.

"As long as I've got you by my side I'm ready for anything," Brooke replied.

Nathan blushed slightly and Brooke grinned when she saw the color rise in his cheeks. It was never easy to make him blush but that didn't mean she didn't try. As they continued to watch movies, Brooke's eyes grew heavy and she was asleep for the night about half way through Cinderella Man. Nathan realized she was asleep and turned off the movie before lifting her off the couch and carrying her into the bedroom. Gently he placed Brooke on the bed and pulled the covers up and kissed her softly before walking out of the room. Nathan had stuff to do that he didn't want Brooke to know he was doing and part of him felt bad for hiding anything from her but he convinced himself it was better not to tell her.

A few hours later Nathan's eyes were falling shut on him. He was sitting at the kitchen table preparing a letter that he was intending to submit to newspaper around New Jersey on behalf of Brooke. He desperately wanted her to have a job in journalism and was doing this for her without her knowing it. As his eyes grew heavier, Nathan couldn't fight it and he fell asleep at the table with his papers spread out across the table.

The next morning Brooke woke up and put her hand out expecting to feel Nathan next to her but was surprised to feel nothing but sheets. Confused, she got up and walked out into the kitchen and found Nathan sound asleep at the table. There were papers spread out all over the table that Brooke had never seen before. Except for one, Nathan had a copy of her resume. But she didn't understand why or how with her printer and computer at the house in New Jersey now. What was Nathan doing with her resume? Brooke couldn't understand.

"Nathan, wake up, honey," she whispered sweetly in his ear.

"Huh?" Nathan replied sleepily.

"Rise and shine sweetie."

A minute later Nathan realized he was asleep at the kitchen table. There were papers everywhere. Brooke was standing next to him. Brooke. Oh no! She was gonna know what he was up to, he had to hide it and fast.

"Uh, hi sweetie. I'll make you breakfast as soon as I clean up this stuff here," he said as he frantically tried to gather the papers up before Brooke could get a good look at them.

"Here, let me help you clean up."

"No!" Nathan was nervous. He really wanted this to be a surprise, if he let her help clean up the surprise would be blown.

"Nathan." Brooke was taken back by his adamant refusal of her help. That was not like him. What was he hiding?

"I'm sorry babe. I didn't mean to shout at you."

"What's going on?"

"Nothing's going on."

"Damn it Nathan don't lie to me!"

"I'm not lying."

"Oh really then why do you have a copy of my resume if nothing's going on? What are you doing?"

"I'm not doing anything!" Nathan knew he was looking more suspicious by the second but he couldn't tell her. He knew if he told she'd make him stop, insisting she was capable of getting work on her own without having her fiancé sending a letter to different newspapers around the state.

"Nathan. I know you're up to something. The only thing I don't know is what. Or why. Stop hiding things from me."

Nathan didn't say anything. He was starting to feel bad about his refusal to speak but he had his reasons.

"How are we supposed to have a marriage built on trust when you can't tell me the truth now? Explain that to me Nathan because I don't get it."

Brooke was furious. She hated when people lied to her and Nathan knew that better than anyone else in the world. He was supposed to be Brooke's best friend and he was supposed to be on Brooke's side and sharing everything with her and now he was hiding something from her. It made Brooke sick to think he was hiding something now, it made her wonder if he hid things from her in the past. She couldn't be in a relationship with someone who couldn't tell her the truth about everything, no matter what, it left her vulnerable and that was one thing Brooke never cared to be again. Not only that but she didn't want to raise a family with someone like that. Angrily, Brooke turned on her heels and went back to the bedroom slamming the door. As soon as she was in the room she collapsed on the bed and cried. How could she be losing her rock?

Nathan collapsed back down into the chair where he had fallen asleep. He was stuck in a rut. He wanted to surprise Brooke but more than anything he wanted her to trust him at all times. Maybe this was a bad idea. There were plenty of other ways to surprise Brooke. Nathan would have to relent and tell her the truth and possibly stop the whole thing because he truly believed Brooke wouldn't want him doing this. Even if she did think it was sweet of him, Brooke liked to go out and get things on her own. As he continued to sit there thinking, Nathan's thoughts were interrupted but the distinctive sound of Brooke sobbing. Nathan felt the guilt rise up in his chest when he realized he had done this to her. Rising to his feet, Nathan walked down to the bedroom hoping Brooke would listen to what he had to say.

"Brooke," he whispered as he sat down next to her.

"No, Nathan. I get it. You don't trust me enough to tell me what's going on. Don't bother," she sobbed.

Nathan groaned to himself. This was gonna be much tougher than he had anticipated. He sat on the bed in silence as Brooke continued to sob. He tried to rub her back but Brooke was so angry with him that she shoved his hands away. The last thing Brooke wanted was for Nathan to touch her. He really upset her this time and she couldn't just let it go and let him comfort her. Although she desperately wanted to have his arms wrapped around her and hear him whisper sweet nothings in her ear but she had to stay strong and not cave to his romantic ways. Confrontation wasn't something they liked to deal with in their relationship but this relationship wasn't one Brooke would give up on. Because as she had known from the beginning, she couldn't bear to live her life without Nathan there by her side. He was her rock and everybody who ever came in contact with her could tell you the same thing. Without Nathan, Brooke was completely lost and Nathan felt the same way about Brooke. Without her, Nathan was just a cocky, arrogant basketball player who didn't give a damn about people's feelings.

"Brooke I do trust you. I didn't want to tell you because it's supposed to be a surprise for you but if it's gonna cause shit between us I'll just stop," Nathan said a few minutes later.

"I don't care. Do whatever you want," Brooke snapped.

"Baby, please don't be mad at me."

"Nathan are you kidding me? I'm not mad at you, I'm pissed off at you. You say you trust me but why couldn't you just say it was a surprise instead of nothing? I'm not stupid! I know it's not nothing. Nothing doesn't get you all worked up or nervous when I talk to you or walk in a room. But you don't seem to get that and I have no idea why. You wanna surprise me, fine but don't lie to my face when I ask you a damn question!"

"I'm sorry."

"Are you really? How do I know I can trust you?"

"Brooke, that's not fair."

"Oh really? Well neither is you making me feel like you can't trust me!"

"What do you want from me? I said I was sorry. I told you it's a surprise for you. What the fuck do I have to do to make you see how sorry I really am?" Nathan barked.

"Do not bark at me! You fucked up, I didn't! You don't get to be pissed at me!"

Brooke got up off the bed and ran through the apartment. She opened the front door and slammed it behind her. Running as fast as she could, Brooke left the apartment building and was heading for the park where she would go after fights with Nathan much like the one they were in the middle of at that moment. She reached up and furiously wiped the tears that were pouring from her eyes. It was so typical of Nathan to pull something like this but he never accused her of not trusting him before now. That stung like nothing Brooke hand ever felt before in her life and she didn't particularly wish to feel that ever again. As soon as she was in the park Brooke walked over to the swings and sat down. Today was their last day in Virginia and they were fighting. That wasn't how Brooke wanted their last day to go. It was supposed to be a good day that ended with them getting on a plane and flying to New Jersey and then spending time together in their new house. But right now Brooke didn't want to be in the same room with Nathan, never mind on a plane with him. She really hated to fight with him but there were times when it was inevitable no matter how hard they fought it. Brooke was guessing this was one of those times.

"Stupid pregnancy hormones," she muttered to herself angrily.

Nathan was sitting on the bed in the apartment with his head in hands. There were tears on his cheeks and he was sobbing almost silently. Brooke had left in the middle of their fight. She never did that. Most of the time when they fought she waited til they had both finished what they had to say before leaving. Because she was already gone, Nathan knew he had really screwed up this time but what he didn't know was how he was going to fix it. If it could even be fixed. Sighing he reached for the phone. He desperately needed to talk to someone and only one person came to mind-Karen. He hoped that she would answer the phone and be able to help him. If not he had no idea what he would do. The two of them would be getting on a plane in a couple hours and Nathan wanted to be able to talk to Brooke by then without worrying about making her cry or her biting his head off for any reason. Nathan was so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't heard Karen say hello after the phone stopped ringing in his ear.

"Nathan? Are you there?" Karen asked, concern evident in her tone.

"Ya I'm here. Sorry about that," Nathan replied.

"What's going on? Is everything all right with you and Brooke?"

"No. We got into a fight and she left mid thought. She never does that."

"What were you fighting about?"

Nathan explained the whole surprise to Karen and how he had been working on it the night before and fallen asleep with paper all over the table. Then he told her how Brooke had found him sleeping at the table a few hours before and then they started screaming at each other. Nathan told Karen he thought it was their most intense fight yet and they had been together for four and a half years. He was worried about her and the baby as well as what was gonna happen between the two of them. By the time he was done explaining everything to Karen he was in tears again.

"Karen what if she decides she doesn't want to marry me and takes all of her stuff out of the house and moves out?" Nathan asked worriedly.

"Nathan, sweetie, you don't have to worry about that. Brooke loves you and there's no one else in the world she'd rather be with. Besides do you really think she would allow your child to grow up not knowing the father?" Karen replied.

"No I don't think she would but she's so pissed at me right now Karen and I feel like shit. It's my fault this whole stupid fight started and I want to fix it. I want things to be right between Brooke and I. I need them to be right. She is my everything. Without her I'm nothing but a spoiled arrogant ass."

"Nathan Lee. You are not an arrogant ass."

"Thanks Karen but I feel like one. It's not up to me to be sending a letter to different newspapers to try and secure Brooke a job somewhere. I should have known it would come back to bite me in the ass. But I never would have guessed it would hurt this bad."

"Nathan it's very sweet of you to wanna help Brooke get a job but you should let her do that one on her own. There might be certain areas of news she wants to write about that she hasn't necessarily shared with you or she might know better than you do what the different newspapers are looking for in the first place. The only thing you can do to help Brooke get a job is to give a wonderful reference if anyone calls you for a reference."

"Thanks Karen. Listen I should go find Brooke. We need to talk. I can only hope she'll listen to what I have to say right now."

"Don't push her Nate. If she's not ready, you'll end up fighting again."

"Thanks again Karen. I guess I'll talk to you later."

"You're welcome Nathan. Don't forget you can call anytime you need something. I'd be more than happy to help you out anytime you need you it."

"I will. Bye."

"Bye."

Nathan hung up the phone and sat down for a few minutes. He knew where Brooke was and he also knew if he went to try and talk to her there it would be pointless. Plus they would be giving the entire world a show if they got into another shouting match in the park. Nathan didn't want that to happen so he decided to be patient and wait for Brooke to come back. He would try talking to her then and not before.

Brooke had finally stopped crying and she was sitting on the swing thinking. She knew she would have to go back to the apartment and talk to Nathan because he was smart enough not to come looking for her when she left because of a fight. He made that mistake once and never did it again after she explained to him that she needed to be alone until she was ready to talk rationally. This fight was the worst one they had that Brooke could think of. She was sitting there when suddenly it occurred to her, she was ready to talk to Nathan if he would listen to her. Slowly she got to her feet and walked back to the apartment.

"Nathan! I'm back," she called as she walked into the apartment a few minutes later.

"Hey baby. Listen, I'm so sorry for yelling at you like I did," Nathan greeted her with a smile.

"Nathan, I know I was upset and I yelled at you earlier but it hurt it so bad to think you don't trust me. You are the only person besides Lucas who was stood by my side through everything the past four and a half years. I was afraid that it was all a lie suddenly and I couldn't handle that. It made me worry that I was gonna lose you. Nathan I can't lose another person in my life. Especially you! You are my life, if something happens my whole life will end. I firmly believe if you were to leave me my heart would stop."

"Oh baby, I'm never gonna leave you. I love you and I only wanted to surprise you. Albeit in a way that I know you'd be opposed to. So I think I'm not gonna do it. I'll find another way to surprise you."

"Nathan I love you too but I don't want you to think you have to surprise me all the time. That's not what this relationship was built on and I would prefer that it stay that way."

Nathan grabbed Brooke's hands and leaned down placing a sweet kiss on her lips. She smiled as she returned the kiss. In that moment they knew everything was ok again. It was unrealistic to think that they would never fight but neither one of them thought that they could live without the other one. This fight had taken a lot out of Brooke. She hated to scream at Nathan but she couldn't help it, he had pushed way too far.

"There's something else I wanna show you," Nathan said as he broke the kiss.

"What's that?" Brooke asked smiling.

Nathan pulled Brooke into the bedroom and grabbed a piece of paper he had folded up and placed in his pillowcase. Smiling broadly he handed the piece of paper to Brooke. She opened it with deep curiosity. On it was a list of names that Nathan liked and wanted to consider for their baby.

**Tayshaun, Adam, Taylor, Kaiden, Lindsay, Ashlee, Meagan, Shea. Names for Daddy's princess/big guy. **

"Brooke? Are you ok?" Nathan asked as he watched her facial expression as she read the list.

"Perfect. Nathan these names are great. Sweetie when did you make this list?" Brooke replied.

"The day you told me you were pregnant. I went online and looked at some name sites and wrote down the ones I liked the most."

"Baby you hear that, Daddy was looking up ideas for names since day one. That's so sweet."

Nathan blushed. He couldn't remember the last time he had been so excited about anything in his life. The only thing he could think of was the moment his name was called during the NBA draft. And even that was only a close second to the day he found he was gonna be a father. Sometimes he still got scared and thought he wasn't cut out to be a father but then he looked at Brooke and knew that he didn't have to be scared because they would always be a team. That thought was enough to calm his nerves every time.

"I love you baby," Nathan said as he placed his hand on Brooke's stomach and rubbed it gently.

Brooke's heart melted as she watched Nathan interact with their unborn child that was growing inside of her. She couldn't believe she was ignorant to think she was gonna lose Nathan earlier in that day. The baby needed its father as much as she needed Nathan. Without Nathan she and the baby would be stuck. She shook her head to get rid of the thoughts. Now was not the time to go there. She needed to focus on the days ahead of her. In a few short hours they would be boarding the plane to fly to New Jersey.

"I love you," Brooke whispered to Nathan.

"I love you too," Nathan replied.

"What time are we leaving for the airport?"

"We should leave in an hour. Do you have everything packed up?"

"Yup. We just need to take out the trash and turn our keys over to the super."

An hour later after the trash had been taken care of and the keys were turned in, Nathan and Brooke were standing side by side holding hands in front of the airport. They each squeezed the other's hand as they walked into the airport to close the door on one chapter of their life and open another chapter in their exciting lives.

_Hey! Sorry to keep you waiting. I struggled with how to write this chapter but I hope you enjoy it. Maybe tonight I'll get a couple more done. If not, definitely tomorrow. Enjoy!_


	9. Hello New Jersey

The pilot was telling the passengers to prepare for landing as Brooke woke up. Nathan watched her sleep for most of the flight. He instinctively reached over and took Brooke's hand in his as the plane began to descend rapidly. It wasn't long after Nathan had grabbed her hand that they were preparing to get off the plane and make their way home to their house in Hackensack. They had arranged to have a car waiting to take them the 25 minute drive from the airport in Newark to their house in Hackensack because they had decided to sell both of their cars and get better more reliable vehicles in anticipation of the baby's arrival. Nathan really didn't want to drive around with his child in the front seat of his pick up because there was no other option and he didn't trust the reliability of Brooke's Beetle.

They exited the airport and spotted the car and driver quickly. They made their way over and got in and told the driver where they were going. Nathan and Brooke sat in total silence for most of the ride. Each lost in their own thoughts. Twenty five minutes later the driver pulled up to their house and let them out. Brooke walked toward the door while Nathan paid the driver and sent him on his way.

"Well, baby, this is it. Home," Nathan said to Brooke as they walked through the front door.

"It sure is great to be home," Brooke said.

They had just barely walked through the door when Nathan's cell phone went off. He glanced down and saw an unfamiliar number but decided he should probably answer in case it was someone with the team.

"Hello," he said.

"Hello I'm looking for Nathan Scott," the voice replied.

"This is Nathan."

"Great. Nathan this is Lawrence Frank, coach of the Nets. How are you today?"

"I'm doing well Coach. Just got to town with my fiancé actually. How are you?"

"Fine thanks. The reason I was calling Nathan is to inform you that there is a team meeting tomorrow morning that all players are required to attend. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow. We will begin promptly at 9:30, punctuality is expected, also this is not the kind of thing where you can roll out of bed and show up dressed casually. Some form of khakis and a dress shirt are required."

"Ok great. Thanks so much Coach."

"You're welcome. Enjoy the rest of your day."

"I will thanks. See you tomorrow."

"Looking forward to it. Good-bye Nathan."

"Bye Coach."

Nathan closed his phone and saw Brooke was laying on the couch flipping through the channels. It disappointed him that their first full day in their new home he had to go to a mandatory team meeting. There was no telling how long it would last or what he might have to do afterwards. He had been planning on taking Brooke shopping and making more preparations for the baby and also getting stuff ready for their wedding. They hadn't set a date or picked a location yet because they weren't sure if they wanted to get married in New Jersey or fly down to Tree Hill and get married in their hometown. Nathan didn't care where they were as long as he was married to Brooke at the end of the day. He had a feeling Brooke wanted to get married in Tree Hill but she hadn't said much about that. Just that she couldn't wait to be Mrs. Scott. Nathan smiled as he thought about that. She was his Mrs. Scott but he refused to become the type of person his father was. And even more so, Nathan wanted to be a better husband and father than Dan.

"Brooke, I have a team meeting tomorrow morning," Nathan told her as he joined her on the couch.

"Already? But I wanted to spend the day with you," Brooke whined.

"I know. I'm sorry baby but I have to go to the meeting."

Brooke pouted. She loved that Nathan was getting to live his boyhood dream but she had a feeling it was gonna be harder on her than she thought possible because she would be missing him all the time. Especially during the season while the team was on the road. She was not looking forward to that. It was then that Brooke realized she really needed a friend. There was still at least 6 or 7 months to go before she had the baby and even then the baby wouldn't be able to talk back. Maybe getting a job now would be for the best and then she would have something to keep her busy and out of the house during the day until she wasn't allowed to work in the office and then she could keep busy at home with her writing. At least Brooke thought she would be able to pull it off.

"You'll be allright for a while baby. I promise you after my meeting we'll spend the rest of the day together. I was thinking about taking you shopping anyway. We need to start getting some things for the baby like wipes and diapers and bottles and other practical things that don't necessarily have to be gender specific. Besides that I know you'll be dying to check out the malls anyway so we could just go together. How does that sound?"

"That sounds great. So great even that I have to wonder how I got so lucky. What could I have possibly done to deserve such an amazing man to come into my life and practically save me. Why would you waste your time on a girl like me?"

"Because a girl like you caught my eye and turned my world upside down. You make me wanna be a better person. I love you more than anyone could ever imagine."

"I love you too. Seriously Nathan, you're the absolute best and any other girl would kill to have you in her life. I'm glad I didn't have to do that to have you in my life."

"I'm all yours forever baby. Nothing's gonna change that. Not even basketball. You and our children will always be number one over my basketball career."

Nathan flashed her a sincere grin and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. They continued to lay on the couch not really paying attention to the tv. They were happy to just focus on each other, the tv was more or less background noise. The two of them stayed like that for a while before Nathan remembered they were supposed to call Lucas when they got to the house. He reached over and grabbed his phone not wanting to let go of Brooke.

"Hey Luke," Nathan said when the phone stopped ringing in his ear.

"Hey did you get to Jersey ok?" Lucas asked.

"Ya we got here fine. How are things in Tree Hill?"

"Chaotic. I think Mom's about ready to clobber me if I talk about looking for a house out in Colorado again today. And Jason doesn't seem to understand why I would need to live in Colorado when I already live here."

"Luke, Jason's only four years old. Of course he's not gonna get it. Give the kid a break."

"Ya I know it's just tough because it's almost like he hates me for leaving when I really can't stay out here during the season while playing for Denver. It doesn't make sense."

"I know that but again your brother's a little kid. It's not gonna make sense to him no matter how hard you try."

"I know I know. All right well I should let you get back to lounging with Brooke. Tell her I said hey. Talk to you later bro."

"Later man."

Nathan closed his phone and placed it on the table next to the couch. He wasn't sure when but sometime during his conversation with Lucas, Brooke had fallen asleep. Laughing to himself he slid down a little further and closed his eyes too. A few hours later Nathan woke up to find Brooke no longer laying on the couch. Rubbing his eyes he got up and went looking for Brooke. It came as no surprise when he found her in her office sitting at her desk furiously typing. He knew it wasn't an email because they weren't connected to the internet just yet.

"Whatcha working on?" he asked from the doorway.

"Not much. Just some story ideas," Brooke replied as she continued to type furiously not breaking her focus on the screen.

"Ok well I'm getting hungry but since we don't have any food in the fridge I was thinking we should go to the store and pick up some stuff."

"Sounds good to me. Give me like five minutes and then I'll be ready to go."

"Ok. Don't rush."

Brooke nodded as she continued typing. When she finished she saved the work and then shut the computer down. She hated grocery shopping but she didn't mind going places if Nathan was there too. It made it seem less daunting if she didn't have to face the stores by herself. They climbed into Nathan's new VW Touareg. Nathan drove to the grocery store he remembered passing on the way to the house.

Two hours and about $200 later, Nathan and Brooke finished shopping and were heading back to the house.

"Baby, you shouldn't go to the store hungry. It's dangerous," Brooke laughed as they drove toward the house.

"Now she tells me," Nathan replied.

"Sweetheart, it's not the first time I've said it."

"Really? I could have sworn it was."

"You're such a pain in the ass Nathan."

"Brooke, I'm hurt."

"No you're not."

Nathan just laughed. Brooke was right. He wasn't hurt. It was just fun to pretend. Nathan knew that was part of what made their relationship so great. They could joke around with each other and not take everything seriously.

"So I was thinking about your list of names," Brooke said suddenly.

"What about it?" Nathan replied.

"I think we should definitely use Ashlee and/or Lindsay for a girl and Kaiden and/or Taylor for a boy."

"Ok but I want to see your names too and then we can sit down and pick out names together like we agreed."

"Again I knew there was a reason I loved you besides that ass."

Nathan laughed at that statement as he pulled into their driveway. They had only been living in their New Jersey home for less than 24 hours and it already felt completely natural to both of them to be there.

"Baby there is more to me than my ass. You of all people should know that."

"Oh I do." Brooke's eyes traveled down Nathan's body taking it all in and smiling widely.

"Good grief woman! I wasn't talking about that either." Nathan couldn't keep a straight face as he pretended to be upset that Brooke only thought his physical traits were all he had to offer her.

"I know I was just teasing. I don't love you for what you have down there. I love you for what you have inside your chest. And that is an amazing heart and I can't believe you're mine."

"I'm always gonna be yours."

Brooke smiled as they continued to bring in the groceries. Nathan would only let Brooke bring in the milk and hold the door for him. He wanted her to be careful because he didn't want anything to happen to her or the baby. Brooke wanted to do more to help with the groceries but decided not to complain and took advantage of the fact that Nathan had let her take the milk in. A few minutes later all the bags were in the house and sitting on the floor in the kitchen. Brooke noticed this and groaned. She wanted to help things away but knew it would be impossible if she had to bend down to the floor.

"Nathan! I can't put the food away if all the bags are on the floor," she said.

"I know," he replied as he sauntered into the kitchen and put some on the table for her.

"Thank you baby."

"You're welcome."

He kissed her softly behind the ear as he walked over to the bags that were on the floor and grabbed some more food to put away. Ten minutes later the fridge was stocked and the freezer was full too. Nathan and Brooke stood in the middle of the kitchen and smiled at each other. Now it really was home.

"Let's go take a look at that list of yours," Nathan suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Brooke answered him.

She ran up the stairs and grabbed her list from on top of her desk. She ran back down the stairs and found Nathan sitting at the table waiting for her with his list in hand and a pen.

"Here you go," she said as she handed him the sheet of paper and sat in the chair next to his.

Nathan took the sheet of paper from Brooke and unfolded it. He looked at the list and it didn't surprise him when he saw "Lucas" on the list for boys. The rest of the list looked like this: **"Names for baby Scott: Bridget, Kaleigh, Sydney, Riley, Jackson, Lucas, Shane, Brennan"**

"Brennan?" Nathan asked.

"What? I hate the name Brendan or Brandon but that sounded cute to me," Brooke replied.

"Please tell me you're kidding."

"Nope. But I'll take it to mean that one's definitely out."

"Good guess."

Nathan took the pen and drew a line through Brennan. He shook his head as he crossed out Jackson.

"Geez Nate. Are you gonna leave anything on my list?"

"Maybe."

Brooke stuck her tongue out at Nathan. He saw this and did the same thing making them both to laugh. Nathan looked at the girls names on Brooke's list and circled Bridget and Kaleigh. He left the rest of the names alone because he wasn't sure how he felt about them. Then he took the blank sheet of paper and wrote down his favorite combinations using Brooke's suggestions of including Lindsay and Ashlee for the girls and Kaiden and Taylor for the boys as well as a few others. When he was done these were the names he came up with: Bridget Ashlee, Kaleigh Meagan, Meagan Lindsay for girls and Kaiden Lucas and Shane Taylor for boys. Brooke looked at the list and added a few of her own. When she finished the entire list looked like this: Bridget Ashlee, Kaleigh Meagan, Meagan Lindsay, Riley Meagan, Bridget Riley for girls and Kaiden Lucas, Brennan Adam, Adam Taylor and Shane Taylor for boys.

"What do you like the best for the girls?" Brooke asked Nathan.

"Bridget Ashlee and Riley Meagan," Nathan replied.

"Good, me too." Brooke drew a line through the other girls names and circled the two they had agreed on.

"What do you like best for the boys?" Nathan asked Brooke.

"Kaiden Lucas and Adam Taylor. What about you?"

"Kaiden Lucas and Shane Taylor."

"Crap. I really don't know if I like the name Adam with Taylor."

Brooke drew a line through Brennan Adam, circled Kaiden Lucas and put question marks next to the other two names.

"Well I guess it's a good thing we have a while to decide on a name for sure isn't it?"

"Ya it is."

"You should probably set up an appointment with the doctor here so we can find out if the baby is a boy or girl."

"Don't worry. It's already taken care of. I have an appointment with Dr. Jeffries next Tuesday morning."

"Ok. If I don't have anything to do with the team I'm going with you."

"Good I would much rather go with you than alone. People talk when they see a young girl walk into the ob/gyn alone and they can tell she's pregnant."

"Babe, nobody's gonna get away with saying anything like that about you. There's no way I'd get you pregnant and bail."

"I know that. Other people don't but that's not important to me."

"Good."

"Hey weren't you hungry?"

"Ya I was. In fact I still am. What do you say I make us some dinner and then we can see what's on tv."

"Sounds good to me."

Nathan kissed Brooke's head and got up to find something to make for dinner. A few minutes later he was putting the frozen pizza in the oven and getting out the ingredients to make a salad. Brooke smiled as she watched Nathan make dinner. Normally she made dinner but since she had found out she was pregnant making any meals made her nauseous. Nathan saw her watching him and smiled at her as he chopped the cucumbers and threw them in the bowl with the lettuce and carrots. As soon as the salad was done he got down two bowls and split it up evenly between the two and he grabbed the Italian dressing from the fridge and poured in each bowl before grabbing two forks and walking over to the table.

"Here you go babe," he said as he handed Brooke her salad and fork.

"Thank you sweetie," she replied as she began to eat her salad.

The two of them sat and ate in perfect silence while the pizza cooked in the oven. When they had finished their salad Nathan took the bowls and forks and put them in the dishwasher and then got something to cover the salad with and put what was left in the fridge before taking down two plates for the pizza. As soon as he had put the plates on the counter the timer buzzed. He opened the oven and saw that the cheese looked completely cooked so he shut off the oven before he grabbed a pot holder and took the pizza out of the oven. He set it down on the stove for a minute to let it cool down some before he cut it and put two pieces on each plate and brought them to the table.

"You better watch out babe. You're gonna spoil me to the point where I won't wanna do anything on my own," Brooke teased as she picked up the pizza and blew on it before taking a bite.

"No I won't. You might like to be treated like a princess but there's a difference between me treating you like a princess and an invalid," Nathan replied.

"I know that sweetie. I was only kidding."

"I knew that."

"Sure you did."

"I did!"

"Sweetheart, take it easy. You know I don't mind you wanting to do certain things for me."

"I really don't mind."

Brooke smiled. She felt indescribably lucky at that moment. There wasn't a thing that could take away her feeling. She was sure of it. When they were both done eating, Brooke decided that because Nathan made dinner and had done most of the clean up she'd finish. Nathan tried to help but Brooke wouldn't let him saying it was her turn. He didn't fight her it was useless. Besides he didn't mind letting her do some things around the house and he knew it made her feel good when he let her do things on her own.

"Be careful," he said to her as she put the pizza stone in the dishwasher.

"I am," she replied.

Nathan nodded but kept watching her anyway. If he couldn't help her clean up he'd watch her to make sure nothing happened. As he watched her clean up, he knew that he really had changed. The fact that he was being conscious of Brooke's every move as she finished cleaning the kitchen really made him realize just how much he had changed. After the kitchen was cleaned up Brooke went upstairs to her office. She wanted to continue her latest fictional story before she went to bed. Nathan saw her go up the stairs and figured she was going to her office so he stayed downstairs and went in the living room to see what was on tv. After flipping through the channels for about five minutes Nathan gave up and shut the tv off and went to the basement to do some lifting.

Nathan had just finished his last set of weights when his cell phone started ringing. He put the weight down and grabbed the phone. He glanced at the caller id and saw that it said "Luke".

"Hey bro what's up?" he asked.

"I just got a call from Haley. Did you know she's married to Jake and they have two kids of their own and Jenny?" Lucas replied.

"Ya I did actually."

"Oh well I was just calling to tell you what she told me."

"What's up?"

"Jake got traded to the Nets."

"You're kidding me."

"Nope. He just got the call today. She said she would have called you but wasn't sure how Brooke would feel about it. So I guess I'm supposed to tell her."

"Tell her what man?"

"Well since he got traded to the Nets, the family's moving to Jersey."

"Oh boy."

"What?"

"Well when Hales came to the apartment to talk to Brooke it didn't go well and I'm not sure Brooke's gonna be too excited about this."

"Oh shit I forgot about that."

"Ya. Ok let me tell Brooke, no offense but I think she'll handle it better coming from me."

"None taken. I didn't wanna tell her anyway."

"Thanks bro."

"Anytime."

"All right well I'm gonna go so I can tell her now."

"Ok. Talk to you later man."

"Sure."

"Bye."

"Later."

Nathan closed his cell phone and ran up both sets of stairs to Brooke's office. She was sitting there typing, her attention completely focused on the computer screen. He knocked on the door to get her attention before stepping to the room.

"What's up babe?" she asked when she saw him standing next to her.

"I have some news," he replied.


	10. Fighting Makes Me Tired

"News? What kind of news?" Brooke asked curiously.

"It's about Jake and Haley," Nathan replied.

"Do you really have to tell me than?" Brooke really didn't want to talk about Haley. It was still a sore spot with her.

"Well ya I think I do."

"Fine. What is it?"

"Jake got traded to the Nets. They're moving to Jersey."

"Please tell me you're joking."

"Sorry babe. Not joking."

"Damn it."

"You're really that pissed at Haley?"

"Yes. Damn it Nathan! My mother died and she left for her music!"

"I know that baby. But don't you think you should try and work things out with Haley. She's one of your best friends."

"Not is. Was. She _was_ one of my best friends. I don't need anyone else now that I have you."

"Brookie, come on don't be so stubborn. You know you miss having Haley around."

"That's not the point Nathan and you know it!"

"Hey, don't yell at me. I was just trying to do right by you and give you a heads up that you'd be seeing a lot more of Haley because her husband and I are teammates again."

"Whatever. I don't care. I don't have time to worry about what this means in terms of having to see Haley right now."

Nathan rolled his eyes. He loved Brooke to death but sometimes she was a little too overdramatic and that drove him crazy. He wanted to say so but knew if he did he'd be spending the first night in their new house sleeping on the couch and that's not what he wanted to do so he kept his mouth shut.

"Wait how do you know Jake got traded and they're moving?" Brooke asked a minute later.

"Luke called me while I was finishing up with my lifting. He said Hales called him to tell him and she said something about wanting you to know but she wasn't sure how you'd take it if she told you so she thought Lucas could do it for her and then he passed it off to me. Which I had no problem doing. Seems like everyone but me is afraid of you," Nathan replied.

"Lucas doesn't need to be afraid of me. Haley on the other hand, well I'm not sure if she needs to be but it might work in her favor if she is at least for now."

"I so don't even wanna know why."

"Good cause I wasn't planning on telling you."

Nathan smiled as he kissed Brooke softly on the cheek. She turned from her computer and decided she was done writing for the night.

Nathan watched as Brooke walked down the hallway to their bedroom. He followed close behind her and kicked the door shut as soon as he was in the room and then proceeded to gently push Brooke onto the bed before kissing her neck and playing with her hair. Brooke grabbed Nathan's head and brought his face close to hers and he crashed his lips down onto hers and they exploded in a romantic kiss that intensified with every second. Brooke broke away from the kiss long enough to get Nathan's shirt over his head and toss it to the floor. Nathan sat up and took Brooke's shirt off tossing it on the floor with his own, leaving her in just a bra. He gently ran his fingers over the silky material before he reached behind her and undid the clasp and slid the straps off her shoulders and pulled the bra off of her body, then dropped it on the floor. Pausing, he allowed himself to stare at her chest taking in the beauty before dropping his head down to kiss each breast softly. Brooke smiled as she knew Nathan was enjoying himself almost as much as she was. Nathan was about take things further when Brooke felt her stomach lurch. She shook her head as he reached to undo her pants. He looked at her in confused frustration.

"I can't baby," she explained.

"Why not?" he asked.

"I'm nauseous."

"Oh ok."

Nathan reached down and picked up her bra and handed it to her. She took it from him and put it back on. Nathan watched and frowned because he had been hoping to have a little fun. Brooke saw the look on his face and felt bad but knew there wasn't anything she could about it. Most women got sick in the morning but Brooke was not most women, sometimes she got sick in the morning and other times she got sick at night.

"I'm sorry honey."

"Hey don't apologize. Do you want me to get you a drink or something?"

"No. Just lay with me."

Nathan nodded as he laid back on the bed and rested his hand on Brooke's stomach. He fell asleep in that exact position only to be woken up a few hours later to the sounds of Brooke throwing up next to him. Nathan sat up quickly and held Brooke's hair back as she continued to throw up in the trash can that was right next to her on the floor.

"You'll be all right baby," Nathan whispered as he rubbed her back with his free hand.

Brooke finally stopped after about five minutes. She stood up to go wash her face and rinse out her mouth but sat right back down because she felt dizzy. Nathan watched her and was worried when he saw her sit right back down.

"What's wrong Brooke?" he asked nervously.

"I'm just a little dizzy. Could you help me to the bathroom so I can wash my face and rinse out my mouth?" Brooke answered.

Nathan shook his head. He gently laid her back down before he left to get her a drink of water and a wash cloth for her face. If she was dizzy Nathan didn't want her walking around at all. Brooke didn't object when Nathan didn't let her get up and get the washcloth or the drink by herself, she was way too dizzy for that and she really didn't want to make herself throw up again. Nathan returned two minutes later with a glass of water, a washcloth and some saltines. He wiped Brooke's face with the rag and then gave her the water and saltines. She took them gratefully, slowly sipping the water and nibbling on one saltine.

"Are you feeling any better?" Nathan asked.

"Yes. Thank you baby," Brooke replied as she put the water down. She had given up on the saltines after the first one left her feeling slightly nauseous.

"You're welcome."

Nathan laid down next to Brooke and held her hand. He hated to see her suffer through the sickness but he knew that she would agree with him that despite all the sickness it would be worth it to be bring their child into the world. Not wanting to make her nauseous again Nathan leaned over and kissed Brooke's cheek. She tried to turn her head to look at him but as soon as she moved her head a little bit she felt nauseous. Defeated, Brooke stayed in her current position and went back to sleep. Nathan watched her sleep before he too was asleep again. It was 2:30 in the morning and he had to be at the arena for a team meeting at 9:30. Which meant he had to be up by 7:00 to give himself enough time to get ready and drive over.

"Nathan, it's 7:15. You need to get up baby," Brooke said later that morning. She had wanted to sleep later than 7:15 but woke up when she heard the alarm Nathan had set went off and was going off still. She glanced over and saw that Nathan still hadn't gotten up so she tried to wake him herself.

"Hmm," he replied.

"It's 7:15, you have to get up and get ready to go. You have that team meeting this morning."

Nathan sat bolt up right when Brooke's words registered. He had over slept. As soon as his feet touched the floor Nathan was heading for the shower. Thankfully Brooke had laid his clothes out on the bed for him so he wouldn't have to do that for himself. She also decided that she would get him some breakfast so he wouldn't be hungry during the meeting. Nathan was showered and dressed, standing in the kitchen by 7:50. Brooke was impressed. She dished out his eggs and placed them on the table along with two strips of bacon and a cup of coffee. Nathan grabbed her hand and kissed it softly as she walked by.

"Thanks for waking me up baby," he said appreciatively.

"What no thanks for laying out your clothes or making you breakfast?" Brooke teased.

"You're right, I'm sorry. Thank you for everything you've done to help me this morning. You're the best."

"You're welcome."

Nathan continued eating and as soon as he was finished he stood up to put his dishes in the sink. Brooke shook her head and pointed to the dishwasher. Nathan smiled as he took the dishes from the sink and placed them in the dishwasher. He glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost 8:45.

"Baby where are my keys? I should probably get going," Nathan asked.

"Here you go. Be careful. Call me when you're on your way home," Brooke said as she handed Nathan his keys.

"I will. I love you."

"I love you too."

Nathan gave her a quick kiss and was out the door. Brooke stood in the kitchen by herself. She was bored and Nathan had just left the house. That could only mean it was gonna get worse as the day went on. Instead of standing around doing nothing, she decided that now would be a good time to call Haley. Especially if what Lucas had told Nathan about Jake being traded to the Nets was true. She didn't want there to be tension because she was still pissed at Haley. She grabbed the phone off the charger in the living room and sat down on the couch before dialing Haley's number. She wasn't sure if she should wait til they were in New Jersey or just get it over with now. The phone stopped ringing and Brooke heard Haley's voice say hello.

"Hi, Haley, it's Brooke," she said.

"Oh hi Brooke," Haley replied.

"Listen, Nathan told me that Jake got traded to the Nets and that you guys are moving to Jersey."

"Yes he did and we are."

"Ok well I think we need to sit down and have a real talk without any shouting. You and I both know that there is years of history between us and it would be stupid to throw it all away because of one ill-timed action."

"Brooke do we really have to rehash the fact that I was a selfish bitch and left after you lost your mom because I thought that my music was more important than sticking around to be there for my friend?" Haley really didn't want to have that talk yet again. It was getting on her nerves. Every time they talked about it she felt a little worse for what she had done.

"Yes we really do. But not so I can yell at you again and tell you that I thought you were the biggest bitch in the world. You already know that's how I feel."

"Then why?"

"Because you never get to explain your side of the story. You've always been subjected to listen to me bitch you out about it. I think it's time I hear what you have to say for yourself."

"I don't think I need to explain my side of the story. There's not much to explain. Chris showed up with an amazing opportunity for me at the same time your mom died and I didn't even think twice before jumping at the chance. I don't know why it didn't occur to me than that you needed me more than I needed the music. I'm sorry Brooke. I was such an idiot."

"No Haley, you weren't an idiot. You were a bitch. There's a difference."

"Thanks."

"Anytime."

"I should have been there for you. I'm so sorry I bailed on you like that. Once I realized what I had done it was too late, I couldn't go back and undo my actions. It wasn't until I stepped foot onto the NC State campus and saw Jake that I knew how stupid I had really been. The friendship you and I had shared was one of the most important friendships in my life and I shit on you. Gosh you must really hate me."

"No Haley. I don't hate you, I hate what you did."

"Brooke don't pretend like you didn't hate me. I know you did. It's ok. I deserve it. I don't even deserve to have Lucas talking to me either. I left without saying good-bye to him and he's been my best friend since we were kids. I must be the worst person ever."

"Haley stop it. You're not the worst person ever. Everyone makes mistakes. Yours was just a big mistake and had repercussions that clearly sting. As they should."

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

"I told you, being a bitch and screaming at you isn't gonna solve anything. I want to fix things between us. And I can't take anymore stress right now. It's not good for me or the baby."

Brooke couldn't remember if Haley knew she was pregnant or not but decided that it didn't matter. Either way it was out in the open now.

"Ok listen, I have to run because Jake and I have to do some more packing but I'll be in town next week if you want to get together and talk some more."

"Where are you guys moving to?"

"East Rutherford. There were some decent house there that were up for sale so we snagged one of them."

"Nice."

"Ya it is pretty nice. Well I gotta run."

"Sure. Bye."

"Bye."

Brooke sat still and looked around the room. Tears flooded her eyes as she realized that despite all the time that had gone by, she really missed Haley. She slid down further on the couch and let the tears fall. She hated to be by herself when she was upset but Nathan had to go to his team meeting and she couldn't disturb him, Haley and Jake were packing and she still wasn't in the mood for Peyton. Defeated, Brooke decided that the best thing for the time being was to calm down and maybe get some rest. She was getting more tired as her pregnancy got further along. Grabbing the remote she turned on some music and fell asleep on the couch. This was the exact position Nathan found her in when he came home from his team meeting after dropping his keys on the kitchen table.

"Hey baby, I'm home," Nathan whispered softly.

"Hmm," Brooke responded as she slowly opened her eyes. She smiled when she saw Nathan looking at her.

"Are you feeling ok sweetie?"

"Ya I was just tired."

"Oh?"

"I called Haley while you were gone."

"How did that go?"

"It was ok. We're gonna work things out between us. I really miss her Nate. You were right, she is my best friend."

Nathan smiled. He was so glad that Brooke had decided to give Haley a call. He knew it was only a matter of time before she would and even though the timing was coincidental with Lucas' phone call that Jake had been traded to the Nets and that Jake and Haley were moving to New Jersey.

"Brooke, I know you miss her. They'll be here soon."

"Nate please don't patronize me!"

Brooke slouched down further onto the couch and turned her face away from Nathan. She was in no mood to argue with him. She just wanted him to know that she had finally broken down and called Haley again. Nathan tried to talk to Brooke again but she ignored him. Not sure what else to do Nathan finally decided to leave the room. He felt bad that he had seemed to agitate Brooke but she wasn't letting him apologize.

"I'm not patronizing you," Nathan said as he left the room.

"Shut up Nathan. I don't wanna talk to you right now," Brooke spat back.

Nathan was hurt but he didn't want it to show. He grabbed his cell phone and called his brother. Lucas always knew what to say to him when he was fighting with Brooke.

"Luke it's me," he said.

"I know I can read," Lucas laughed.

"Listen man, Brooke's in one of her moods again. I don't know what to do."

"What did you say this time?"

"Well I told her about Jake and Haley moving up here last night. Then I had to go to a team meeting today and when I came back she told me that she called Haley and I told her I was glad."

"Ok I'm not seeing the problem yet."

"I haven't gotten to it yet. So we talk for a few more minutes and then she says that she really misses Haley and I said I know and that they'd be here soon and she flipped out and told me not to patronize her. I wasn't patronizing her Lucas. And now she doesn't want to talk to me."

"I hate to say it but it's classical moody Brooke. You can't say anything to her until she comes to you and wants to talk. If you so much as try to talk to her before then, she'll bite your head off. Nate you've been with her for how long and you still run to me when you fight with her?"

"Look, I know it seems pathetic but you and I know that if there's anyone who knows Brooke's moods better than me, it's gotta be you."

"The little brother makes a valid point."

"So I should just let her be until she's ready to talk to me?"

"Only if you value your life man."

"All right. Thanks Luke. Keep me posted with your life in Colorado."

"Sure no problem. Later bro."

"Later."

Nathan hung up and opened the fridge. Fighting with Brooke always made Nathan want to do two things: call Lucas and eat. He grabbed a slice of pizza from the fridge and didn't bother heating it up before he tore into it. No sooner than he had it in his hand was the slice of pizza completely gone.

Brooke continued to lay on the couch. The tears that she thought were done had come rushing back. Lately it seemed like all she did was fight with Nathan and cry. If this is what it was gonna be like for the entire pregnancy Brooke wasn't sure she wanted to get pregnant again. Instead of wiping the tears away like she had been doing earlier Brooke just let them fall. Once again her tears lulled her to sleep. That was another thing she had been doing a lot and for the moment she was glad to be asleep because it meant Nathan couldn't force her to talk to him. That suited Brooke just fine. She was in no mood to talk to Nathan anyway.

Nathan walked back into the living room and found Brooke asleep, again. Instead of waking her like he had done when he got home he went up to the bedroom and decided to take a nap himself. Fighting with Brooke seemed to drain everything out of him. He laid on the bed trying to fall asleep but had absolutely no luck. Groaning he grabbed his cell phone and dialed Haley's number.

"Hello," she answered.

"Hey Haley it's Nathan," he said.

"What's up?"

"Not too much. How's the moving going?"

"Jake better not get traded for a long time or at least not so far away from New Jersey that we'll have to move again. I'm not doing this again."

"That well huh?"

"Oh ya. How are you?"

"Not so hot."

"What's wrong?"

"Brooke and I got into a fight."

"Please tell me it wasn't about me."

"Not really."

"What do you mean not really?"

"I know she called and I'm glad she called. She told me that she misses you and I said you'd be here soon and she took it as me patronizing her and because of that she screamed at me. And now she's asleep on the living room couch and I'm upstairs laying on the bed."

"Nathan you can't patronize a pregnant girl. It doesn't go well. Ever."

"Ya, I know that know but I really wasn't patronizing her."

"You might not think so but if that's how she felt you better be careful how you say certain things to her."

"Ya, thanks Hales. I figured that one out."

"You're welcome."

"Hey you know I've been meaning to ask you. What does Lucas think about you naming your one son after him?"

Haley paused. This was gonna be tough. She didn't want to get Lucas in trouble but she couldn't stand keeping it from Nathan and Brooke anymore.

"Haley?"

"Sorry. He was excited when I told him that I was pregnant and then I told him that I had always wanted to name a son of mine Lucas after him because he's been my best friend for so long."

"Wait a second? Lucas knew about the babies before they were born?"

"Ya. He said he wanted to keep it between him and I but I can't do that anymore. Not if Brooke and I are gonna try and work everything out. It all needs to be laid out on the table."

"I'm so gonna kick his ass. I asked him all the time if he ever heard from you and he always said that he hadn't."

"Nate don't."

"Why not? He lied to me and to Brooke! Damn it Hales. She cried for days because she felt like her whole world abandoned her."

"I know that Nathan. I feel like shit for it everyday."

"Good. I hope you do."

"Nathan!"

"What? You're telling me my brother has been in contact with you for at least two years and lying about it and you expect me not to be pissed? That's hilarious."

"I know you didn't call to fight with me about my life. So before this gets any worse I'm gonna go finish helping Jake."

"Ya sure. Lucky me I get to add more to the story for Brooke. Thanks so much Haley."

"Damn it Nathan! Not everything is about you or Brooke!"

Nathan didn't bother responding to that. He slammed his phone closed and tossed it on the bed. If he didn't need the phone he would have thrown it at the wall. Just when things were starting to look up for his fiancé and Haley there was more drama that was about to explode. Nathan was dreading having to tell Brooke the new news about Haley and knew it would get ugly because this time it involved Lucas. Groaning he dropped his head down on the pillow and fell asleep. Fighting with people really could make a person tired. A point well proven by the fact that both Nathan and Brooke were asleep, in separate rooms.


	11. It All Comes Out

Haley groaned as she was greeted with the dial tone. Nathan had hung up on her. It wasn't terribly surprising after what she said. She ended the call and then decided to call Lucas. If the shit was gonna hit the fan she thought he deserved a warning. He didn't pick up. Haley really didn't want to leave him a message but she didn't want to have to call back later either.

"Hey it's Lucas, you know what to do," his voicemail said.

"Luke, it's Haley. I really need to talk to you. Call me as soon as you get this. It's really important," Haley said before she was cut off.

She closed her phone as she felt Jake's arms circle around her waist. Something about being with Jake made her nerves disappear instantly.

"Hey are you okay babe?" Jake asked.

"Ya. I just talked to Nathan and he asked me how Lucas feels about us naming our son Lucas. Now he knows that Lucas has been talking to me for the last 2 years and lying to him and Brooke about it," Haley replied.

"How pissed in Nate?"

"Real pissed cause he called me because he and Brooke got into an argument. Now he's gotta go tell her more news. This can only get worse for me."

"No, I don't think you can have anymore bad luck."

"Thanks Jake."

"You're welcome Hales."

Brooke was still asleep when she felt her stomach lurch. She got up quickly and ran to the kitchen because she knew she wouldn't be able to hold herself together all the way to the bathroom. As soon as she was standing over the trashcan Brooke opened her mouth and was throwing up immediately. Nathan had already woken up and was rushing down the stairs when he heard Brooke throwing up. Just like he had done the night before Nathan held Brooke's hair back as she threw up. It didn't last as long as it had the night before and she wasn't dizzy after she stopped. Nathan wrapped an arm around her waist and walked her back into the living room. They sat down on the couch in dead silence for a while. Nathan knew he couldn't tell Brooke about Lucas talking to Haley yet and Brooke still wasn't sure if she was ready to talk to Nathan.

"Baby I'm sorry I yelled at you. I'm just tired and emotional," Brooke apologized.

"It's ok sweetheart. I know you didn't mean it but I didn't realize you felt patronized either. So I'm sorry too," Nathan replied.

Lucas had just got working out at the Nuggets' practice facility so he didn't have his phone on him. He went to take a shower and then entered the locker room to grab his bag. Instinctively he grabbed his phone to check for missed calls. He was surprised to see he had one from Haley. Not thinking anything of it, he listened to her message and although it made him nervous he called her back.

"Hales, it's Luke. What's up?" he said.

"I talked to Nathan today," Haley replied.

"About?"

"Us being in contact for the last 2 ½ years."

"Oh crap. How'd he take it?"

"Not well. He's pissed off. And he thinks Brooke will be pissed off too."

"Ya I know she will. And it's my fault. I lied to both of them. Oh god, they're gonna hate me."

"No, Luke. They're not gonna hate you."

"Yes they will Hales. Damn it! I never should have lied to them."

Lucas slammed his locker shut and stormed out to his car. He couldn't believe that the two years he had been talking to Haley were coming back to bite him in the ass. And now he was gonna have to face two of the worst people to have pissed at him.

"Luke, if they hate anyone it'll be me. Remember I told you not to tell them you were talking to me."

"But I agreed to it. I could have said no but I didn't. And now I have to face the fact that I lied to my brother and really close friend. Fuck."

"It'll be ok, Lucas. I swear."

"No it really won't. Nate I can handle but Brooke is gonna wanna put my head through a wall or something. She's gonna hate that I lied to her especially when I knew how bad it hurt her that you took off when you did. Damn it Hales! I was with her every day before we all split up and went to different parts of Florida for school. Every day Hales, she cried because she needed her best friend, she needed you and you bailed on her then got in touch with me and made me promise not to say anything to her or Nathan. I'm so fucked!"

"You think I liked doing that? I couldn't face Brooke then and it's still hard now. I'm sorry I put you in such a tight spot but I needed to make sure she was ok."

"Well she wasn't! And she's still not. Damn it Hales. You have no idea how hard it was to watch her heart break over and over again. She looked like someone whose mother and two best friends died at the same time. And in a way that's exactly what happened! I know you have nothing to do with her and Peyton falling apart but you left too. You're not the same girl you once were. It's like I don't even know you anymore."

"Why does everything have to be about Brooke? Why doesn't anyone ever ask me how I felt during the time I was away?"

"Because you left! It was a selfish thing to do. Shit Haley you watched Brooke lose her mom and Peyton's friendship and then decided to pursue your music. Nobody should ask how it made you feel. Although I can guess, you didn't feel a thing except excitement of the challenge ahead of you. Well guess what, the only challenge any of us had to deal with was how to keep Brooke alive! We couldn't leave her alone for more than five minutes out of fear that she would end her pain. You'll always be my best friend Haley but you pissed me off when you did that and it pisses me off now that I was dumb enough to go along with it when you made me promise to keep our contact between us."

Haley didn't know what to say now. All she could think was that Lucas was right. She was the one who messed up and left. No one had reason to question her feelings. The fact that she had gone made it pretty obvious. She only cared about herself and her music. Now she didn't have her music but she had something that she thought was better. She had Jake, Jenny, Lucas and Colin.

"Look I need to go. I apparently have some apologizing to do. And I'd rather do it now instead of later."

"Ok."

"Bye Haley."

"Bye Lucas."

Lucas closed his cell phone and walked the rest of the way over to his car. He had been too angry with Haley to go to his truck before. Nervously he dialed his brother's number. He figured he should talk to Nathan first and then Brooke or maybe if he was lucky he wouldn't have to talk to Brooke.

Nathan was in the kitchen getting a drink when he heard his cell phone ring. Anger swirled in his eyes as he realized it was Lucas' ring tone.

"Well if it isn't my lying shit of a brother," he greeted snappily.

"I'm sorry Nate," Lucas apologized.

"You're sorry! You knew where Haley was for 2 ½ fucking years, lied to Brooke about it and all you have to say is you're sorry! That's really low man. You saw how bad she was when Haley first left. Why the hell would you keep that from her?"

"I promised Haley I wouldn't say anything. She begged me not to tell Brooke. I really wanted to but a promise is a promise."

"I don't care what you promised Haley! Brooke was broken and you knew where her best friend was and kept it from her anyway. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Baby! What's going on?" Brooke yelled from the bedroom where she was changing.

"Nothing sweetie!" Nathan yelled back. He decided that he wasn't gonna be the one to tell Brooke about Lucas and Haley talking while Haley had been gone and Lucas lying about it. He'd leave that up to the two of them to decide who would get the "honors" there.

"Way to lie to your fiancé, Nate," Lucas laughed.

"It's not my thing to tell her. So shut your mouth bitch," Nathan shot back.

Brooke walked into the kitchen just then and gave Nathan a curious glance when she saw the anger in his expression. He waved her off hoping she wouldn't ask him about it. She was still sitting there a few minutes later listening to Nathan argue with Lucas when her cell phone rang. Grumbling she stood up and to go answer it. Her face twisted into an inexplicable expression when she saw Haley's name on the caller id.

"Hello," she said cautiously.

"Brooke I need to tell you something," Haley answered hesitantly.

"Ok what's going on?"

"Have you talked to Lucas today?"

"Um no but Nathan's fighting with him right now. Why?"

"Oh crap."

"Haley!"

"Sorry. Well Nathan and I talked earlier today and I told him that Lucas knew where I was for 2 ½ of the years I was gone."

"He what!" Brooke was livid.

"I'm sorry. I got a hold of him one day and we kept talking after that."

"Why didn't he tell me? Why didn't you call me? Haley I missed you so much. Not only that but I needed you and you were gone."

"I know I'm sorry. I couldn't face you after I had left like I did so when I was talking to Luke I made him promise not to tell you or Nathan. I'm so sorry this had to come out."

"Oh so you were hoping I'd never find out?"

"No it's not that. I just I didn't think about what would happen when you did find out."

"NATHAN!" Brooke yelled as she pulled her phone away from her ear.

"What sweetie?" Nathan replied.

"Are you still talking to your brother?"

"Yes."

"Good tell him not to hang up. I need to have a word with him."

"Ok baby."

"Thank you."

"Haley it's been real talking to you but I'm done."

"Brooke wait."

"No Haley. I can't believe you pulled this on me and expect me to make nice with you."

"I'm sorry."

"I don't care! You left and were talking to Lucas and made him lie to me! It's gonna take so much more than a verbal apology for me to even consider forgiving you. Bye!"

Brooke slammed her phone shut and stormed into the kitchen. She stopped and stood in the middle of the room with her hand out to Nathan.

"Brooke wants to talk to you," Nathan told Lucas.

"Ok," Lucas replied. Nathan could hear the nerves in his brother's voice but he didn't care because he knew whatever Brooke said to him was deserved.

"How could you lie to me like that! Two and a half fucking years Lucas. What is wrong with you?" Brooke yelled as soon as she got the phone.

"Brooke I'm"

"No! I do not wanna hear that you're sorry. That is such bullshit that I can't believe you think I'd be stupid enough to believe it. I don't know if I can ever trust you again. You saw how bad I was. You know I had a hard time living day to day without Haley and you knew where she was and did you tell me? No! And why is that? Because you made a stupid promise, completely ignoring the fact that I might have been interested to know my best friend was alive."

"It's not like that Brooke. I wanted to tell you. I told Haley the same thing but she begged me not to. I couldn't just ignore her pleadings to keep it between her and I."

"Oh but you could ignore the fact that I was upset beyond words because I didn't know where she was or why she left the way she did. Thanks a lot Lucas!"

"Brooke please, just listen to me."

"No I don't feel like it. You had plenty of time when you could have told me that you had been talking to Haley like maybe the first time she got a hold of you or whatever happened but no you didn't even bother. And don't tell me it was because of some promise. I don't want to hear that Haley's your best friend or anything else. She left, I didn't! You lied to me, you don't get to be upset."

"Sweetie, please calm down. All this stress isn't good for the baby," Nathan whispered desperately. He knew she needed to scream at Lucas but he didn't want anything to happen to her or the baby because of it.

"It's not my fault everything comes crashing down on me lately," Brooke hissed.

"He's right Brooke," Lucas said.

"Shut the hell up Lucas," Brooke snapped at him.

"Sorry."

"Whatever. I can't talk to you anymore. I'm sick of hearing your voice."

Brooke shoved the phone back into Nathan's hand and stormed off up the stairs to her office. She didn't want to deal with anyone for a while and her office was the one room in the house that she could lock herself in and not have to let Nathan in if she didn't want to. Which she knew wasn't fair but she didn't want to fight with him because she was pissed at Haley and Lucas. It would have been a different story if he had been the one lying to her about Haley was but it wasn't him, it was Lucas. Brooke just needed to be alone for a while to calm herself down. She knew Nathan was right, all the stress she was going through lately wasn't good for the baby.

"It's okay, baby, Mommy loves you," Brooke whispered softly as she rubbed her stomach gently. It was then that she realized she was crying. She couldn't take anymore. All she wanted to do was be happy with Nathan but every time she turned around something went wrong or someone was springing another "surprise" on them. Suddenly Brooke was over come with an idea for a song. It was called "Who's Cryin Now". She wrote it quickly and decided that as soon as they had the studio equipment installed in their basement she would go down there and record it.

_"Who's Cryin' Now"_

It's too late to say you're sorry  
You've been gone from here too long  
I hope you found what you were missing  
Cause I don't miss you here at all

And it's too bad that I'm not crying for you baby,  
Don't be sad, cause I've been fine without you lately

I'm saving my breath  
I'm saving my tears  
I'm saving my life for something  
Better than these years  
I've lost too much time  
Crying over you  
Don't look so surprised that I've  
Got better things to do  
Who's cryin now?

There's so many nights I wasted  
I was waiting for your call  
Did you think I'd wait forever?  
I guess you don't know me at all

And I told you if you left you would regret it  
Thinking I would take you back, but you don't get it

There's something you should know  
I finally let you go  
It had to end somehow  
Tell me who's cryin now

A little while later, when she decided she was calm enough, Brooke unlocked the door to her office and went to see what Nathan was up to. She walked into the kitchen and found a note. _"Babe, Went out for a run to clear my head. Be back in a little bit. I love you. Nathan". _

Sighing as she placed the note back on the counter Brooke opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. She closed the fridge and went to the living room. Not sure what else to do while Nathan was out running she put a movie in the DVD player and got comfortable on the couch.

Two hours later, the credits were rolling across the screen as "The Notebook" was ending and Nathan still hadn't come home. Brooke was starting to get worried because Nathan was never gone this long when he went for run. Not even when he was clearing his head. She stood up to get her cell phone and call him just as she heard the door opening.

"Baby I was worried about you," she said as she greeted Nathan.

"I'm sorry. I was really frustrated so after I ran I went to the park and just sat there for a little while. I needed time to think before I came back. I didn't mean to worry you," Nathan apologized.

"It's ok. Just call me when you do that next time. Ok?"

"No problem."

Brooke smiled as she stood on her toes and kissed Nathan sweetly. Nathan smiled back as he wrapped his arms around Brooke's waist and pulled her for a deeper kiss. He hated to see her upset and not know how to fix it for her. This whole mess with Haley and Lucas was definitely one of those times. He wanted her to get through the rest of the pregnancy without anymore-major stress. Losing the baby would break both their hearts. She was so excited to be a mommy and he couldn't wait to see the life they had created enter into the world and grow up with two loving parents in himself and his fiancé. Brooke watched him closely and she raised her eyebrow at him as his smile grew and then disappeared and then came right back.

"Whatcha thinking about?" she asked.

"You and the baby," he replied as he put his hand on Brooke's growing stomach.

Brooke looked down at Nathan's hand and smiled before placing her hand on top. They stood like that for a few minutes before Brooke decided she had to pee. Nathan laughed as Brooke lifted his hand off her stomach and practically sprinted down the hall to the bathroom. If there was one thing that annoyed Brooke about being pregnant besides the constant throwing up and eating, it was definitely the constant trips to the bathroom.

"Hey Brooke!" Nathan shouted.

"Yes baby!" Brooke shouted back.

"I love you."

"I love you too. Is that it?"

"That's it."

"Ok."

"Why?"

"Because it's rather odd timing to tell me you love me."

"No such thing."

"Yes there is. Especially when our baby decides to play kickball with my bladder and I'm on the toilet."

"It doesn't matter to me. I love you no matter what's going on or what you're doing."

"That's sweet baby."

Brooke walked out of the bathroom with a smile on her face. It made her feel so lucky to have Nathan. Especially because he was so sweet to her.

"You're the best," she told him.

"No I believe you are the best my love," he replied.

Brooke's stomach growled and they both laughed.

"I think baby's hungry."

"What would you like?"

"Chicken soup."

"Coming up."

Nathan turned around and got everything he would need to make Brooke some soup. Brooke was glad she didn't have to make the soup herself because the thought of cooking made her nauseous. And that wasn't a feeling she was fond of.

"Thank you Nathan."

"For what?"

"Being you."

"You're welcome."

Brooke sat down at the table and stared at the engagement ring on her finger. A smile spread across her face as the light hit the diamonds in her ring and made them sparkle. To Brooke it was more than just an engagement ring, it was a symbol of how well the couple had made through some rough spots through the years and always managed to stay together. It was a tangible testament of their love for each other and Brooke couldn't wait to be married to Nathan.

"Baby we need to start making arrangements for the wedding," she announced, not taking her eyes off her ring.

"As soon as you're ready we can go look for a good place to have the wedding," he replied.

"There's more to it than that." She had to bite her tongue to conceal her laughter.

"I know that sweetheart. But don't the guys usually not get involved with anything other than the vows, the rehearsal, and showing up for the wedding?"

"Usually but you're not that kind of guy. I know you'll want to help and besides, I want this wedding to be about what we want as a couple, not just about what I want as the bride. It's your special day too."

"Ok."

"Good. We should get started tonight."

"With what? It's getting late."

"The guest list silly."

"Oh right, good idea."

Brooke laughed a little. A few minutes later the two of them were sitting at the kitchen table eating soup and discussing whom they should or should not invite to the wedding.

"Nathan we have to invite Dan," Brooke said.

"Why?" Nathan asked.

"He's your father."

"No he's not. He was never a father to me. The only man who was ever a father to me won't be there because he's dead."

"What about Coop? He's not dead."

"Coop's a crazy bastard."

"So are we gonna invite him or not?"

"Who? Coop or Dan?"

"Dan. I know you want to invite Coop."

"Fine. Whatever. But I'm not talking to him."

"Ok. It's your choice."

They continued discussing the guest list as they cleaned up their dishes. In the end they couldn't agree whether or not they wanted to invited Haley or Lucas based on the current situation but knew it was ridiculous not to have them there. Nathan needed a best man and Brooke was gonna need a maid/matron of honor.

"I'm getting tired. What do you say we go to bed and finish this tomorrow?" Nathan suggested.

Brooke had already fallen asleep with her head resting in her arms, which were folded, on the kitchen table. Nathan smiled to himself as he gently tried to wake her up.

"Baby, let's go to bed."

"Hmm," Brooke answered.

"Come on."

Nathan wrapped his arms around Brooke's neck and under her legs and carried her up the stairs to their bedroom. He laid her down gently on the bed and covered her with the blanket. He stripped down to his boxers and climbed into bed with Brooke and wrapped a protective arm around her body letting his hand rest on her stomach before drifting off to sleep.

_The song is by Saving Jane. Thought it fit perfectly with everything that's going on with Brooke. As always I hope you enjoyed the chapter! _


	12. Faith in Us

Lucas was sound asleep when his phone rang. He turned over and answered it half asleep.

"Hello," he said.

"It's Haley," he heard her say.

"What's up?" Lucas had a feeling he knew why she was calling him.

"We need to tell Brooke and Nathan that you and I have a kid together. I can't imagine it's gonna go over well but it'll only get worse if we keep waiting."

"Wait, wait. I thought you said that Bella was Chris'?"

"I thought so too."

"What happened? How did you find out that she's not his daughter?"

"DNA testing proved it."

"Are you sure she's my daughter?"

"Luke! You're the only one I slept with aside from Chris and obviously Jake."

"Oh I can't wait to tell my brother this one. He's gonna flip out."

"Why? It's not like we cheated on anyone."

"We can't tell them yet. Brooke's under enough stress and I don't want to add to it. It's not good for her or the baby."

"Lucas."

"_What_ Hales? They didn't know about Bella for the last 6 years, another 6 or 7 months isn't gonna make it any worse."

"Fine."

"Did you tell Jake she's mine?"

"Ya. He's kinda pissed but I think it'll be ok."

"Man, how did everything get so messed up? First with the truth about our contact coming to light and now the fact that Bella's not Chris' daughter because she's actually mine."

"I know I know."

Lucas was silent for a minute. He had no idea how he was going to handle this latest development. He had always treated Bella like his own daughter but it was all gonna be different now because she really is his daughter.

"Luke?"

"What Hales?"

"Sorry. You got quiet. I just wanted to make sure you were still there."

"I'm still here. I just needed to gather my thoughts. Oh shit! What about my mom? She's gonna freak out."

"Oh my god. I didn't even think about Karen. Lucas I'm so sorry. I wish it didn't have to be this way but DNA tests don't lie."

"I know. What made you get one done now?"

"Chris wanted it. Something about the fact that she looks like nothing like him."

"So what's gonna happen now? Is she gonna move in with you and Jake and the kids?"

"I think so. But you have some say in it too since she's also your daughter."

"Hales you know I love Bella but there's no way I could have her living with me permanently. She'd be spending most of her time with you and Jake in Jersey anyway."

"I understand. We can work something out I'm sure."

"Absolutely. I want to have a part in her life just like I always have before."

"You will Luke. I'm not gonna suddenly keep her away from you. In fact the only person I'm gonna keep away from her now is Chris."

"Ok good. Well I need to get back to sleep."

"Oh my god Luke I'm so sorry. I forgot that it's only 5:00 AM out there. Talk to you later buddy."

"Bye Hales."

Lucas closed his phone and landed on his pillow falling back to sleep immediately.

Brooke and Nathan were up and having breakfast before Nathan left for his morning workout at the team's practice facilities. After his practice they were going out to look for wedding invitations and then go back to the house and finalize the guest list along with where and when they wanted to have the wedding.

"Baby if Jake shows up be nice to him. He didn't do anything wrong," Brooke said.

"I will don't worry. I'm not mad at Jaglieski. All right I'll be back later and we can let the wedding prep begin," Nathan replied as he stood up to put his bowl in the dishwasher. He kissed Brooke on the cheek before he left.

Jake woke up to his sons' screaming from their bedroom. He noticed that Haley wasn't in the bed next to him and decided to join her in the boys' room. When he walked into the room he found her rocking them both neither of them seemed to be intending to let up on their screaming.

"Here let me take of one them," Jake said as he reached his hands out. Haley nodded gratefully and handed Colin to him.

"Lucas, shh. It's ok. Go back to sleep baby," Haley whispered to the child.

Jake was walking around with Colin bouncing him up and down a little. Nothing seemed to be working for either of them. They were still in the room with Colin and Lucas when the phone started ringing. Jake thought it might be for him so he left the room still holding Colin to go answer the phone. He looked down at the caller id and saw that it was Nathan.

"Hey Nate. What's up?" Jake said hoping Colin wasn't screaming into the phone.

"Not much man. What are you doing?" Nathan replied.

"Trying to get my son to stop screaming so I can get ready for practice. I'm really looking forward to this. I'm psyched to be playing on a team with you again."

"You and me both. Hopefully the girls can work out their differences."

"I know what you mean and if I know Brooke she told you to be nice to me if I show up today didn't she?"

"You know she did. But I told her I would cause it's not you I'm pissed at. I'm pissed at my brother. I can't be anymore pissed at Haley then I was when she left so I'm not going there this time."

"Understandable. All right Nate I gotta go if I'm gonna be on time to practice. I'll see you there."

"Looking forward to it."

"Peace."

"Later."

Jake hung up the phone and was surprised to find that Colin had stopped screaming and was just looking around the room. Smiling he walked Colin back to his room where Haley was still sitting in the rocking chair with a now sleeping Lucas. Haley took Colin from Jake as he lifted Lucas off her lap and placed him back in his crib. The three of them left the bedroom and were met by Jenny in the hallway.

"Morning princess," Jake said.

"Morning Daddy," Jenny answered him.

"Morning honey," Haley said as she bent down to kiss her daughter.

"Morning Mommy."

They walked downstairs to get breakfast before Jake had to leave for practice. Haley was uncharacteristically quiet but Jake didn't have time to go into detail so he made a mental note to ask her about it when he got home from practice.

"Ok I have to run. I'll be home later. Jenny you be a good girl for Mommy while I'm gone ok?" Jake said.

"Ok Daddy. I will," Jenny said.

"Bye Hales. I'll pick something up for dinner on my way home."

"You're gonna be gone that long?" Haley asked.

"Ya I have a lot of stuff to do with the team. I was planning on working out on my own too. I need to make sure I'm in excellent physical condition for the season."

"Basketball sure is a big commitment."

"Baby you knew that in college."

"I know but now it's not just another thing in your day, it's your job."

"Hales I'll still have plenty of time for you and the kids. I'll make sure of it. We agreed that no matter what, family comes first and I'm sticking to it. But I really need to go because I don't want to be late my first day with the team."

"Ok. Be careful. I love you."

"I will. I love you too."

Jake kissed Haley softly before walking out the door to his car and heading off to the practice facility to begin his basketball career as a member of the New Jersey Nets.

Brooke walked through the house cleaning random things as she debated what she was going to do while Nathan was at practice. She figured he would be gone for at least 5 hours, maybe longer but it didn't seem as daunting this time. Suddenly she found herself wondering if Jake really would be there and if that meant Haley was in town. Absently she grabbed her phone and decided to call Haley. It went straight to her voicemail.

"Hey this is Haley. Leave a message and if you're lucky I'll call you back."

"Haley it's Brooke. Just calling to see if you were in Jersey now. Call me back when you can. Thanks," Brooke said.

Brooke closed her phone and went up to her office. She was still looking for potential job openings at newspapers in the area. It was getting annoying not having anything to keep her busy on a consistent basis during the day now that Nathan was gone almost everyday with practices and other team requirements. It had only been a few minutes when she spotted a listing at the local paper in Hackensack. Smiling she wrote down the information and went to get the phone to call and inquire about the specifics about the opening.

"Hackensack Daily News how can I help you?" a voice greeted Brooke cheerfully.

"Yes, hi. My name is Brooke Davis and I saw that you have an opening for a staff writer position and I was just wondering if someone could tell me exactly what it is you're looking for," Brooke replied.

"As a matter of fact I can. We need someone to cover the Nets during their off season preparations as well as during the season and everything. Including interviews with players and coaches. You'd have to be able to attend games both home and away."

"That shouldn't be a problem."

"Great what I'll need you to do is fax a copy of your resume here and then the CEO and editor and whoever else needs to will take a look at it and call you about a formal interview. Is that all right with you?"

"That's fine. Thank you so much for your help."

"You're welcome. Have a great day Miss Davis."

"Thanks you too."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Brooke hung up the phone with a smile spread across her face. Finally something good in a long line of stressful days. She got up and decided to go for a walk. She didn't seem to leave the house unless she was going somewhere with Nathan. It was time for her to go out on her own and enjoy the New Jersey sunshine. She got dressed quickly in sweatpants and t-shirt and threw her hair in a casual ponytail.

"Ok Baby, it's just you and Mommy for a while," Brooke said as she held her hand over her stomach.

Brooke stepped outside and took a deep breath. It was a truly beautiful day. There wasn't a thing that could bring her down at that moment. Not even thinking about the fact that her friends had been lying to her. Today was gonna be a great day. Brooke and Nathan were starting the wedding prep.

"Finally," Brooke muttered with a grin.

She walked down the street and it amazed her how many little kids there were running around and playing. That wasn't something she remembered noticing when they were looking for a house but it was perfect, their baby would have plenty of friends in the neighborhood. Maybe this neighborhood would be their new Tree Hill. Brooke shook her head because she knew that was crazy. They had left Tree Hill to start a life for themselves where people didn't know them and the things they had done when they were kids. She spotted two little girls, one brunette and the other one blonde with curls, running around one of the yards and it took her back to her childhood days of play with Peyton.

"Peyton what happened? Where did we go wrong?" Brooke said to herself sadly. It was moments like this one that made Brooke realize how much she missed having Peyton around. Absently she grabbed her phone and decided it was time to stop being such a bitch, Peyton called when she had needed someone to talk to and Brooke pushed her away. Watching the two girls play made Brooke feel bad because when she had called Peyton, instead of pushing Brooke away Peyton listened to her.

"Hey Peyton it's Brooke. I think we need to talk," Brooke said when Peyton answered the phone.

"What Brooke? You finally decided that my sob story was pitiful enough that you wanna talk now?" Peyton shot back.

"That's not fair. You know me well enough to know I'm not gonna support anything in your life I don't agree with. And if that means not supporting your choice in boyfriends, it's been done before. I can do it again."

"You obviously didn't call to argue. So what do you want?"

"I told you. I want to talk."

"Why?"

"Because Peyton. If we're gonna be friends again we need to try the whole talking thing. And besides, I may not agree with whatever's going on with Jaime but I want you to know I'll help anyway I can. Especially if your son is my godson."

"Not just godson. He's your nephew Brooke. You know we always talked about being Auntie Brooke and Auntie Peyton to each other's kids. I never forgot about that."

"Ok before you totally make me cry, what happened with Jaime? Did they send him back to Puerto Rico?"

"No. But he's on probation and isn't allowed to leave Texas as part of that probation for the next year."

"Why do you sound upset then?"

"Because he plays baseball. He has to leave the state to work sometimes. I don't make enough to compensate for any games he doesn't get in because he can't leave. It's hard enough having to feed and clothe three people right now as it is."

"Why do you say it like that?"

"Because I'm pregnant again."

"Does Jaime know?"

"Yes I told him this morning."

"How did he take it."

"He was excited and then he left saying he had stuff to take care of. He's still not back and he hasn't been answering his cell phone all day long."

"Peyton he's not gonna leave you. It sounds like he loves you and Joaquin too much to do that."

"That's the thing Brooke, I don't know if he does."

"Oh come on. Do you really believe that?"

"I don't know what to believe." Brooke could tell Peyton was crying. She hated to hear the sound of someone crying. It made her feel vulnerable herself and with her pregnancy the vulnerability seemed to have increase dramatically.

"Come to New Jersey Peyton. You need to get out of Texas for a while. Bring Joaquin. Please."

"I don't know Brooke."

"Please Peyton. I need you."

"No you don't. You have Nathan. And I know Haley's there too. You don't need me anymore."

"Peyton! Please."

"Brooke I don't know. This is too much stress. I can't handle it right now."

Brooke sighed. She knew all too well what it was like to be under intense stress. She was experiencing quite a lot of it herself lately. Mostly because of Lucas and Haley.

"All right. I'll leave it up to you. Come if you want, if not, whatever."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know but I'm not gonna beg you to do something you don't seem interested in."

Brooke had turned around and walked back toward the house. It was getting chilly and she didn't want to get herself sick.

"Brooke don't be like that."

"Like what? Like my friend doesn't seem like she wants to come see me? What would you like me to do? Jump around in circles screaming like a little girl with happiness? You know me better than that. Or at least I thought you did."

"This is ridiculous Brooke."

"You're right. I don't even know why I called you in the first place. I have to go."

"That is so typical. You can't control the situation or handle it so you'd rather back out."

"Damn it Peyton! Don't talk to me like that."

"Oh grow up Brooke."

Brooke didn't bother responding. She was too hurt and pissed off to have any control of her words and she wasn't in the mood to fight with Peyton. Just as she was unlocking the house to go inside her phone was ringing. She ignored it when she saw Peyton's name flash on the caller id. There was no way talking to her was a good idea at that moment.

Nathan and Jake were working hard to learn the new system for their new team. Lucky for both of them they were quick learners and although it was fairly intricate, they both picked up on it quickly. It made them both smile when they realized it was similar to something Whitey had tried to implement back in Tree Hill during high school.

"What's the matter JJ? Married life slowing you down?" Nathan teased as he bolted past Jake and slammed the ball into the bucket.

"Haha, funny Nathan. No as a matter of fact it's not. I'm just a touch out of shape," Jake replied.

"You think? I've never run by you like that before."

Jake shook his head. Nathan was right, he never could get past Jake in high school and now here they were, in the pros and Nathan had finally run around him. Married life wasn't slowing Jake down, lack of sleep from having two 18 month old sons to look after along with a 6 year old daughter. That was wearing on him and he knew it was a terrible excuse but there wasn't much he could to fix it. His children and his wife were everything to him.

"Yo! Jaglieski. What's up with you man? You don't look so good," Nathan asked after they finished their practice for the day.

"Don't have twins if you can help it man," Jake answered.

"Oh great, now you're scaring me. Brooke's pregnant you know."

"Ya, I know. Hales told me. Congratulations by the way."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

They finished changing before they walked out to the parking lot and got in their cars to go home to their girls. Or in Jake's case, his wife and children. Nathan smiled when he remembered what he was going to do with Brooke that afternoon. They were going out wedding invitation shopping. He couldn't wait. Mostly he couldn't wait for the wedding itself. The other stuff didn't matter to him as long as he had Brooke by his side forever. That was all Nathan ever needed to be happy in life. Money and success would do nothing for him if he ever lost Brooke. Nothing held a candle to the love Nathan had for Brooke. Not even basketball. Although sometimes Brooke would tease him and say that he loved basketball more than he loved her or the baby, even though they both knew that wasn't true at all.

Ten minutes later he pulled into the driveway and found Brooke sitting on the front porch smiling at him. He smiled back as he got out of his Touareg and walked up to join her.

"Hey sweetie. How was your day?" Nathan asked.

"Not bad. Talked with Peyton this morning. How was your day?" Brooke replied.

"It was hard work but basketball always is. Jake was there. And don't worry, I was nice to him. How was your conversation with Peyton?"

"Weird. But I'm not sure I could explain it right now."

"Ok. No problem. You still wanna go get wedding invitations and other stuff today?"

"Of course."

"I was thinking. We really need to pick a date and a place."

"I know."

Nathan looked at Brooke curiously. He could see there was more to her response just by looking in her eyes.

"And?"

"And what?"

"What were you thinking for the date and place?"

Brooke feigned cluelessness which made Nathan laugh. They both knew that he knew she wanted to get married in Tree Hill. What Nathan didn't know was the date although if he knew Brooke and obviously he does, it would be some significance that only the two of them would truly understand.

"Well how would you feel about getting married in Tree Hill baby?"

"I knew that's what you were gonna say. And as long as you're the one in the wedding dress and you don't stand me up, I'll marry you anywhere, anytime."

"Yay!" Brooke thought Nathan would object to returning to their hometown for the wedding but it made perfect sense to her because they both knew the town so well that they could decide on the place without actually having to fly to North Carolina to check out different possibilities.

"Ok now let's hear the date. I need to know when I should show up."

"Haha. You're so funny. I was thinking about a New Year's Wedding."

"You do realize you'll have a very visible stomach right?"

"Yup and I don't care. I love you and I don't want to have to wait until after the baby is born to get married."

Nathan whistled. He expected her to say something that would guarantee the baby was born so she wouldn't be pregnant for their wedding. But he liked this much better. It showed that she really had changed.

"Sounds good to me. Ok so it's July 7th. We have a little more than 5 ½ months to plan a wedding."

"It can be done and believe me. It will be. I know who I want to be my bridesmaids along with maid of honor. I'm making the dresses so I'll have to check with everyone that their measurements are still the same or get new ones and I'll definitely have to redo mine. All that needs to be done is securing a minister, building, reception hall, your wedding party, invitations and rings. We can do it. I have faith in us."

"Me too. Me too."

Nathan grabbed Brooke's hand and kissed it softly as they stood to get back into his SUV and begin the wedding invitation hunt.


	13. Isabella Brooke James

Nathan and Brooke came back from looking for wedding invitations feeling satisfied. Not only had they managed to find the perfect invitation they decided to get another task on their list accomplished and they went to the jewelry stores to look at wedding bands. After about three hours they found the perfect bands. Nathan's a simple white gold band with three small stones embedded into it and Brooke's was similar to her engagement ring without the emerald stone, which was replaced by a third diamond and they were a bit bigger than they were on her engagement ring. The jeweler asked if the couple wanted anything engraved on the rings and they decided to have them both say "I'm yours always" with their wedding date Dec. 31, 2010.

"Baby this wedding is going to blow your childhood dream wedding out of the water," Nathan said.

"How can you be so sure?" Brooke replied.

"Because none of the guys you dreamt of marrying could ever love you as much as I do. Not even Prince Charming."

Brooke rolled her eyes. It made her laugh that all guys seemed to think every girl dreamt of marrying Prince Charming. The laughter grew when she remembered that she had been one of those girls when she was younger. Nathan looked at her strangely as she continued to laugh. She tried to explain it to him but the laughter took over and she waved him off instead, hoping he would understand.

"You dreamt of marrying Prince Charming?" Nathan looked at Brooke and burst into a fit of laughter himself when she managed to nod at him. It shouldn't have surprised him as much as it did but Nathan couldn't help himself.

"Oh come on you mean to tell me you didn't have any girls you dreamt of marrying as a kid?" Brooke asked when she got her breath back.

"Nope. Not one. I didn't want to get married when I was a kid," Nathan replied.

"Sure you just don't wanna tell me."

Nathan stuck his tongue out at Brooke. She shook her head at him as they walked through the house and into the kitchen to work on the wedding invitations. The only the things they could do was put the town, date and time. The definite place was still up in the air but they each had an idea.

"Wow, now I know why most guys leave this stuff for the fiancé to do on her own," Nathan said as he shook his hand out.

"Baby, you can't possibly be hurting already. You've only written like three invitations so far," Brooke laughed.

"Ya but this is after playing ball for a few hours and lifting weights."

"Aw poor baby."

"Yes I am but it's worth it. I really do wanna help with this stuff. It's our wedding so I should help out."

"I'm glad you feel that way because I don't want you to fell like I'm forcing you to help me."

"Nope. Next on the agenda today."

"What?"

"Baby shopping."

"Nate, we just spent all kinds of money on the wedding today. Do you really think it's a good idea to go shopping for the baby today? We can't really get much until we know if the baby is a boy or girl anyway."

"I know I'm just excited and I was on a roll with the whole shopping thing."

"You were on a roll with the shopping thing? Come on, we both know you wanted to be done once we had the bands picked out and paid for. I couldn't even convince you to go to the food court with me you wanted out of the mall so bad."

"Ok, ok. So shopping isn't my forte. But I was doing it for us. And we need to go shopping for Baby Scott now."

"Not yet. We need to wait to find out the sex of the baby and then we can go."

"Why? It's not like I was talking clothes, we still haven't gotten bottles and pacifiers and other necessities that we don't need to know the sex to buy. Come on, please? I really wanna do this today."

"How long are you gonna beg me before you give up?"

"I'm not stopping til you say yes."

"All right, let's go. I don't think I can take anymore begging. You're worse than a child."

"Hey. I resent that."

Brooke just laughed as they walked out the door yet again to do more shopping. Brooke was exhausted but she could see Nathan really wanted to go. And if he was telling the truth he really would have begged her until she caved so it was better to give in before it pissed her off.

"Ok let's make a deal right now. Bottles, pacifiers and wipes than we call it a day," Brooke said as they drove down the road back toward the mall.

"Whatever you want babe," Nathan replied. He didn't care how long or how much stuff they bought as long as they took of some it. Sometimes his excitement got the best of him and he couldn't help but want to accomplish everything that crossed his mind.

"Chris I don't have time for this. When does your flight get here? I would like to see my daughter," Haley snapped into the phone.

"Wow someone's testy," Chris laughed.

"Chris! Damn it!"

"Ok, ok. We'll be at the Newark airport around 11:00 tonight. Am I gonna have to get a cab to take us to your house or what?"

"No. I don't want you here. You have no reason to know where I live. Bella's not your daughter so after all this is settled and the legal aspects are taken care of I don't particularly care if I never see or hear from you again."

"Haley James."

"It's Jaglieski now. I've told you that before. Stop calling me Haley James. That's not who I am and you know it. Why do you have to piss me off?"

"Look I wasn't trying to piss you off. It's obvious you're already pissed about what I have no idea but whatever. So if I don't need a cab are you going to be at the airport tonight to pick up Bella?"

"Obviously. God do you have to be so stupid?"

"Fuck you."

"Whatever. Make sure my little girl gets here safely or I swear Chris."

"What Haley? What are you gonna do to me if something happens to Bella?"

Haley was fuming. Talking to Chris Keller had that affect on her and because of that she was glad to be able to get rid of him from her life for good after that night. She no longer had any reason to keep in contact with him now that the truth of Bella's father had been discovered. Haley was relieved that Chris wasn't her father but at the same time she wasn't really looking forward to adding this latest twist to the mess that kept growing between her and Brooke. Which always seemed to cause a mess between her and Nathan and then Brooke and Lucas and Nathan and Lucas. She was sure this would send at least Nathan through the roof and she truly felt bad for everyone involved. Thinking of Bella as a mistake wasn't something Haley liked to do but if she was logical about it, Bella was the result of a mistake that she and Lucas made.

"Let me talk to my daughter," Haley demanded.

"Bella, phone!" Chris yelled.

"Hello," Bella said sweetly.

"Hi baby. It's Mommy," Haley said.

"Mommy! I miss you."

"I miss you too sweetie. But we won't have to miss each other anymore because Chris is bringing you to New Jersey to come live with Mommy, Jake and your brothers and sister."

"Is Jake my daddy?"

"No sweetie. Remember your Uncle Luke?"

"Ya! I love Uncle Luke."

"Well sweetie, he can't be your uncle anymore because he's your daddy."

"Really? Wow. That's so cool."

Haley laughed. She was glad that her daughter wasn't freaked out by the fact that Lucas was her father and Chris wasn't. It was especially helpful because Bella had been spending a lot of time with Chris in his skuzzy apartment in northern Georgia.

"Ok baby, I have to go now. I'll see you tonight. I love you."

"Bye, Mommy. I love you too."

Haley hung up and sighed happily. Finally her whole family would be together. She was in such a daze that she hadn't realized Jake and Jenny had come barreling into the room making all kinds of noise.

"Hales? Are you ok?" Jake asked when he realized she was daydreaming.

"Huh?" she replied.

"Are you ok?" he repeated.

"Oh ya, I'm fine. Chris and Bella will be here around 11:00 tonight. I'll go get her from the airport but we need to make sure her room is all set because I don't want her up late just because we didn't get her bedroom ready for her."

"Ok no problem. Do you know what needs to be done up there?"

"I think we just need to put sheets on the bed and make sure there are working light bulbs in there. All the other stuff Bella, Jenny and I can do tomorrow."

"Who's Bella?" Jenny asked.

"Bella is Mommy's daughter," Jake told her.

"Does that mean she's gonna call you Daddy?"

"No sweetie."

"How come?"

"Because she knows her daddy."

Haley looked at Jake and shook her head. Jenny was visibly lost and she didn't think it was a good idea for Jake to say anything else. This wasn't something an average 6 year old would understand. They were gonna have to sit the two girls down and try to explain it to them at some point but now was not the time. At least not to explain things to Jenny. She was completely lost. Jake finally caught the look on Haley's face and decided to change the subject offering to take Jenny out for ice cream after dinner. Jenny cheered happily. She loved getting ice cream with Jake.

"Stop bribing her with ice cream," Haley whispered.

"I can't help it if ice cream is a good distraction for a 6 year old girl," Jake replied. Haley rolled her eyes at him. He used that argument for everything.

"Nathan I'm tired! Are you done yet?" Brooke whined. She couldn't believe she was complaining about being out shopping but her feet were starting to kill and she was exhausted.

"Ok I'm done. We got everything we agreed upon for the time being. Now let's get you home so you can take a nap or something," Nathan replied.

"Thank you."

They paid for everything and loaded it all into the SUV and then drove back to their house. Brooke was asleep almost as soon as she got into the front seat. Nathan looked over and saw that she was asleep and decided that he didn't need music for the ride home. He wanted Brooke to get some sleep since he was the one who insisted on this shopping trip. When they got home he decided to take the bags in and put them in the baby's room and then go back out for Brooke. She was still sound asleep when he went back outside. He lifted her carefully and brought her into the living room and gently laid her down on the couch and covered her with a blanket.

"Sweet dreams, baby girl," Nathan said as he kissed Brooke's forehead and went to the kitchen. He was getting hungry so he decided to make himself a sandwich while Brooke slept.

After he finished making his sandwich Nathan walked into the living room and turned the tv on quietly so he could keep Brooke company while she was resting. He hated the thought of leaving her by herself and he loved to watch her sleep too. Little did he know that after he was done eating he would soon be joining Brooke in dreamland.

The sun had gone down before either Nathan or Brooke woke up from their nap. Nathan woke up first and was shocked to find Brooke in the same position since he had placed her there when they had gotten home. Sound asleep on the couch with the blanket draped over her. He watched her and realized there was a small smile playing on her lips. It made Nathan curious to know what she was thinking about to bring up the cute smile. He was about to close his eyes again when his cell phone started ringing.

"Luke what's up?" he said.

"Guess who's a Daddy?" Lucas replied.

"Me I know. But Luke Brooke's not due for another 7 months."

"No, no. I was talking about me."

"What? How did that happen?"

"Nate didn't Deb tell you about the birds and the bees already?"

"You know what I mean."

"Umm you know how Haley has a daughter Bella who's Jenny's age."

"Ya. Why?" Nathan was silent for a minute trying to process what Lucas had just said when it clicked. Bella was Lucas' daughter.

"She's not Chris'?" Nathan sputtered.

"No. The annoying jerk demanded a DNA test for God knows what reasons and it came up negative for him and I guess they were able to get a sample of my DNA and it was a positive match."

"Oh wow. So are you gonna tell Brooke?"

"Is who gonna tell Brooke what?" she asked as she woke up to hear Nathan on the phone.

"It's Lucas sweetheart. I think you should hear this."

Nathan put his brother on speaker phone so they could all talk to each other.

"Hey Brooke," Lucas said.

"Hey Luke. What's going on?" Brooke responded.

"Well see, the drama between Haley and I just keeps getting worse."

"What now?"

"Bella's not Chris' daughter."

"WHAT!" Although Haley didn't have Bella until after she had left, everyone in Tree Hill had known that she was pregnant. What they didn't know was who the real father was, but they were under the impression that Chris Keller was the baby's father and that thought made Brooke physically sick.

"Brooke, calm down," Nathan said.

"If Chris isn't Bella's father, who is?" Brooke asked evenly.

"I am," Lucas told her.

"Lucas you better be telling the truth or I'll kick your ass."

"I'm telling the truth. Isabella Brooke James is my daughter."

"Wait a minute. Her middle name is Brooke?"

Brooke was shocked. This latest development really showed Brooke that Haley really did just react on a whim, albeit a selfish one. If it wasn't a whim and it was done with the intent to hurt Brooke, Haley wouldn't have given her daughter a name after Brooke in anyway.

"Ya. Chris wanted to name her something ridiculous like Autumn Rain but Haley told him to eat shit and die or something to that affect. Or so I was told," Lucas said.

"This is crazy. I feel like I should be screaming at you and calling you an asshole for this but I can't do it. Maybe I'm getting softer as the pregnancy goes on," Brooke laughed.

"I keep telling you that sweetie but you never listen to me," Nathan said.

"Speaking of babies. What have you decided for names for my future niece or nephew?" Lucas asked.

"Bridget Ashlee or Riley Meagan for a girl and we're still fairly undecided for a boy as of right now," Brooke answered.

"Why not name him Nathan Lee Scott Jr?"

Brooke watched Nathan tense up. She liked that idea but knew he wasn't crazy about it himself. Suddenly she had an idea that she would ask Nathan about later after their conversation with Lucas.

"No way Lucas. You know I don't want my son to have the burden of being a junior," Nathan said after a few minutes.

"Why not? You're a great guy. I think any son of yours would be proud to bare the name Nathan Lee Scott Jr."

"Okay boys, that's enough talk about that for now," Brooke interjected before the two of them got real pissed at each other.

"All right well you two have a good night. Don't go calling Haley and screaming at her Brooke," Lucas said.

"Funny," Brooke shot back.

"I wasn't going for funny but thanks."

"Bye Lucas."

"Bye Brooke."

Nathan took his phone off the speaker phone feature and said good-bye to Lucas and then joined Brooke on the couch,

"You know, Lucas gave me another idea for a name if the baby's a boy," Brooke told Nathan.

"What's your idea?" Nathan asked.

"Well I know you'll never agree to Nathan Jr so how about a compromise."

"How so?"

"Nathan Davis Scott."

Nathan was silent as he considered the possibility. It was a different approach, they would still be using his name but also Brooke's soon to be maiden name. Maybe it wasn't a bad idea but Nathan wasn't entirely sure yet.

"Nathan?"

"Uh sorry. I dunno. It's a good idea but I'm not sure how I feel about using it."

"Oh ok." Brooke was disappointed. She knew that the compromise eliminated the intent to have Lucas be part of the name but she thought it was important to name their son after Nathan first. She tried to hide her disappointment because she didn't want Nathan to change his mind because he felt bad about upsetting her. That wasn't a good way to come up with names for a child.

"Do you really like that name?" Nathan asked.

"Yes but we don't have to use it if you don't like it," Brooke said quickly.

"I like it babe. We should use it. It solves the whole Taylor/Shane/Adam problem we had."

Brooke smiled as she leaned in to kiss Nathan sweetly. He smiled as he returned the kiss. It was nice to be able to work out a compromise so everyone was happy. And all Nathan ever wanted for Brooke was happiness so much so that he would stop at nothing to make sure she was always happy.

"What do you think Baby? Do you like the name Nathan Davis Scott?" Brooke asked as she placed her hand on her stomach. Nathan put his hand over hers and moved them in gentle circles on her stomach. He knew he had to be careful as not to make Brooke nauseous with his movements.

"How about Bridget Ashlee or Meagan Riley?" Nathan asked as he bent down and whispered directly to Brooke's stomach.

If there was one thing Brooke loved to watch lately it was Nathan talking to their baby. She couldn't wait to see him in action once the baby was born. She hoped that he would be this loving if not more and never stop no matter how many children they had. She wanted at least 6, maybe 7 children but she didn't know if Nathan felt the same way. Just as Brooke was about to ask Nathan she felt a wave of nauseous hit her. Swiftly she lifted his hand from her stomach and ran to the bathroom to empty the contents of her stomach in the toilet. Nathan followed behind her to hold her hair back and rub her back.


	14. Surprise!

Two months had gone by since Nathan and Brooke had moved into their house in New Jersey. Nathan was gone everyday for a good 6-7 hours working out, practicing and in team meetings. Brooke had gotten the job writing for the Nets at the newspaper so she wasn't stuck at home much. Some days she would go to her office in town, other days she was at the arena talking to different players and coaches and still other days she was at home working in her office. Since she was now about 4 ½ months pregnant she was definitely starting to show and she could feel the baby's movements a lot more than before. Sometimes it startled her and other times she smiled happily. Also during the two months Brooke had been talking to Haley more often and had gotten to meet her kids and catch up with her. Their friendship was nothing like what it had been in high school but Brooke felt as though with time and understanding the two girls would get right back to that familiar place.

"Sweetie I'm home!" Nathan called as he came in the front door. He was met with silence. He couldn't remember if Brooke had told him that she was gonna be home or at the office. He walked up the stairs and checked in her office and there she was, typing furiously. Nathan guessed it was an article about the team based on the notes he saw scattered all over the desktop and the scattered balls of paper near and in the trashcan.

"Brooke?" he said.

"Honey! You're back!" Brooke squealed happily as she spun around in her chair.

"Have you been in here all day?"

"No I was at the office earlier and decided to come home because I wasn't getting too much done over there and we have our doctor's appointment today. Which reminds me, what time is it?"

"It's 3:15. What time is the appointment?"

"4:15. I'll just wrap up what I'm working on and get changed then we can go."

"Sounds good."

Nathan placed a hand on Brooke's stomach and said, "Today we find out if you're a boy or girl. Daddy can't wait." Brooke smiled warmly at Nathan. He was right, today was the day they had been waiting for. They were going to find out if the baby was a boy or a girl. She couldn't decide what she was hoping for more but she did know one thing, she was definitely hoping for a happy, healthy baby.

"Ok, shoo. I can't work with you hovering over me," she teased as she pretended to shove Nathan out the door.

"I'm going, I'll be downstairs when you're ready to go," he replied.

Brooke just nodded her head. It amazed Nathan how fast Brooke could go from talking to him right back to writing intently. He could never that, no matter how hard he tried in school. But that was probably why Brooke was the journalist and he wasn't. Shrugging, Nathan ran down the stairs and plopped on the couch while he waited for Brooke. He didn't care if the baby was a boy or a girl. All that mattered to Nathan was that they had a happy and healthy child. He wouldn't love the baby any less because it was the gender he hadn't been hoping for neither would he love the baby anymore because it was the gender he had been hoping for. Nathan wasn't sure how many children he wanted but he knew that he definitely wanted more than one. Although Lucas is his half brother, Nathan had pretty much grown up as an only child and he didn't enjoy it at all and he was pretty sure Brooke felt the same way. He was still sitting on the couch 15 minutes later when he heard Brooke coming down the stairs.

"You ready to go babe?" she asked as she stood at the door.

"Absolutely," Nathan said enthusiastically.

He shut the tv off and joined her at the front door. Instead of taking Nathan's Touareg, they decided to take Brooke's Scion. Brooke hadn't been able to handle Nathan's driving lately because it made her stomach turn. They got into the Scion and Brooke turned the radio on immediately only to have Nathan turn it off. She looked at him worriedly.

"What's up Nate?" she asked.

"How many kids do you want?" he answered.

"I don't know. I was thinking 6, maybe 7. Why how many do you want?"

"I don't know but definitely more than 1."

Nathan was relieved. So Brooke did want a big family. She was definitely the perfect girl for him. He was pretty sure that no other woman would want to have kids with him but that didn't matter because Nathan wasn't marrying anyone other than Brooke.

They rode the rest of the way to the doctor's office in silence. Nathan had turned the radio back on so it was completely silent. He felt slightly awkward and that bothered him because silence between them had never made him feel that way before. It worried him that something was going on with them that he didn't know about.

Brooke was lost in her own thoughts. She didn't notice that Nathan seemed to be tense now. She was too excited about the doctor's appointment to realize that this silence was different then it typically was for them. A few minutes later she was pulling her Scion into the parking lot of the doctor's office. She turned off the engine and smiled at Nathan. He didn't smile back.

"What's wrong Nathan?" she asked nervously.

"Nothing, I'm fine. Come on, let's go. This is the day we've been waiting for," he replied avoiding her eyes. He didn't know what was wrong so he didn't want to worry Brooke. He hadn't wanted to lie to her either but at least she seemed satisfied with his response. _For now_ he thought to himself.

Almost as if he was operating on auto pilot Nathan took Brooke's hand in his own as they walked toward the building. He could feel his heart beating faster than normal and there was sweat on his hands. It didn't make sense to him that he was acting this way and Brooke still looked worried.

"Baby are you sure you're all right?" she asked again.

"I'm fine," he snapped. As soon as he said Nathan wanted to kick himself for being harsh with her when she was just being sweet.

"Sorry I asked."

Brooke dropped Nathan's hand and stormed in to the building before they could get into an argument. Nathan remained outside the building paralyzed by Brooke's actions. He hated to fight with her and now here they were, fighting because he had been an ass to her. He swore at himself and kicked up loose gravel that was under his feet before walking into the building to join Brooke. He spotted her slouched in a hard plastic chair up against the wall with tears glistening in her eyes. His heart dropped to his stomach as he watched the tears fall.

"Brooke, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you," Nathan apologized as he grabbed her hand and looked straight into her eyes.

"Why can't you see I care about you and I wasn't trying to be annoying," Brooke sniffled.

"Brooke Davis," an older lady called from the doorway.

Taking a deep breath and wiping the tears from her eyes Brooke stood up and took Nathan's hand as they walked toward the lady who had just called her name. Silently the couple followed the woman down a hallway to an empty room. Brooke hopped on the exam table with a little help from Nathan and the woman asked her some questions and began writing things down as Brooke spoke.

"I need you to take this to the bathroom," the lady said to Brooke as she handed her a small container with a lid.

"What do you want me to do with it?" Brooke asked dumbfounded.

"It's for a urine sample."

"Oh right. Where's the bathroom?"

"Down the hall to the left."

Brooke nodded as she rose to her feet to go to the bathroom. Nathan helped her down and walked with her leaving the older woman in the room alone.

"I feel so stupid. I should have known this was for a urine sample. That woman must think I'm an idiot," Brooke said.

"I'm sorry but it was pretty funny. I knew what it was for and I'm not the one she handed it to," Nathan laughed.

"Shut up. Don't be so mean."

"Sorry." Brooke stepped into the bathroom and shut the door leaving Nathan in the hallway by himself. A few minutes later they were walking back to the room. Brooke had left the urine sample in the little compartment in the wall next to the toilet. When they got to the room the lady had left. Nathan helped Brooke back onto the exam table and then sat in the chair. He could tell she was getting nervous and if he was gonna be honest, he was nervous too. Finally another lady walked into the room.

"Brooke Davis?" she said warmly.

"Ya that's me," Brooke replied.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Mikayla Scott."

"Oh now, that's just weird," Nathan said.

Dr. Scott and Brooke both turned to look at him.

"I'm sorry. Is this the baby's father?" Dr. Scott asked Brooke.

"Yes and my fiancé. Dr. Scott, this is Nathan Scott," Brooke replied.

"That is weird. I've known any other Scotts before."

Nathan nodded. He was baffled, this woman looked oddly familiar to him but he couldn't figure out why. Instead of focusing on that, Nathan decided to pay attention to what Dr. Scott was saying to Brooke.

"Ok I'm gonna set up the sonogram machine so that we can have a look at the baby. It's my understanding that you two would like to know the sex is that right?" Dr. Scott asked the couple. They nodded as Nathan took Brooke's hand and squeezed it. Finally, the moment that had been waiting for had arrived.

"The gel is gonna be cold Brooke so be aware of that."

"Ok," Brooke said not taking her eyes off Nathan.

She jumped when she felt the cold substance hit her stomach. She turned her head to look at the screen and tears pooled in her eyes. Nathan looked at the screen and then at Brooke. That was their baby and Nathan was excited. He felt tears in his eyes but didn't bother to wipe them away. Dr. Scott continued to move the device around on Brooke's stomach to keep up with the baby's quick movements. Nathan laughed as he saw the baby moving, Brooke didn't laugh but she did smile.

"Oh there we go. Wait a minute," Dr. Scott said.

"What? What is it?" Brooke panicked, "What's wrong with my baby?"

"The babies are fine. I was just surprised."

"Wait, did you just say babies?" Nathan asked.

"Yes I did. Why is that a bad thing?"

"No, not at all."

"Twins, Nathan this is great!" Brooke squealed as she propped herself up on her elbows and kissed Nathan sweetly.

"All right, oh this one wants to show Mommy and Daddy its gender," Dr. Scott said as she pointed to one of the babies' forms.

Brooke and Nathan looked at the screen and their hearts swelled with pride. They were looking at their babies.

"You still want to get married before the babies are honey?" Nathan asked.

"Yes, of course. More than ever, having twins can't change my mind. Nathan I love you and want to really start our life as a family before the babies are born," Brooke said enthusiastically. She couldn't wait to be married to Nathan now and she wasn't about to let the fact that she was pregnant with twins delay the wedding in anyway.

Nathan and Brooke were lost in each other's eyes that they were completely oblivious to their surroundings or where they were. Dr. Scott finally got there attention a few minutes later when she reminded them that she was gonna reveal the sex, or sexes, of their children. Suddenly their attention was completely on the screen as Dr. Scott moved her device around on Brooke's stomach.

"Well this one here, is a boy," Dr. Scott said pointing to the baby in the front.

"Aw sweetie you can teach him to play basketball," Brooke said, smiling at Nathan.

"Of course I can but only if he really wants to play," Nathan replied smiling just as wide as Brooke.

"It seems you're gonna be out numbered Brooke, this one is a boy also," Dr. Scott said when they were looking again.

"Oh no, babe, how am I gonna stand to have three boys in the house?" Brooke whined playfully.

"It's ok boys, Mommy does it mean it," Nathan laughed.

"I can print some pictures of them if you would like," Dr. Scott told them.

Nathan looked at Brooke and she nodded emphatically. She definitely wanted pictures of her kids.

"How many copies should I make?"

Brooke wasn't sure if they should give one to Haley and Jake but she was definitely certain about giving one to Lucas and Karen.

"Nate do you wanna give one to your parents?" Brooke asked.

"No. I don't went them to have anything to do with our children. We should send them to Karen, Lucas, your dad and Coop. It's up to you if you wanna send Haley and Peyton pictures," Nathan replied.

"Ok so how many would you like?" Dr. Scott asked with a smile.

"Eight please," Brooke replied.

"Eight?" Nathan questioned.

"One for each of us."

"Oh ya, great idea."

Brooke smiled. She knew it was a great idea. She was no fool. If she didn't get one for each of them Nathan would take their copy and lose it on her or something crazy. A few minutes later they were walking out of the building holding eight copies of their sons' first picture. As soon as they were in the call Nathan whipped out his cell phone to call Lucas.

"Hey man guess what?" he said.

"What's up?" Lucas replied.

"We're having twins."

"Oh wow. That's awesome. Boys? Girls? One of each?"

"Boys."

"How'd Brooke take it?"

"She was pouting playfully but she's excited."

"Sounds about right. Let me talk to her for a minute."

"Here Luke wants to say hi."

"Hey Luke," Brooke said happily.

"Hey you. Twin boys huh?" Lucas said.

"I can't wait. I don't even care that I'll be outnumbered. I will have a daughter someday. I just know it."

"Baby, boys are dominant in the Scott family though," Nathan said.

"We will have a daughter." Brooke was determined to have at least one daughter. She didn't care if that meant they would have to adopt but she was absolutely determined.

"Ok well I'm glad you're excited. I can't wait to see you guys. Love ya Brooke."

"Love you too Luke. Bye."

"Bye." Brooke closed Nathan's phone and gave it back to him. When they got to the house Brooke grabbed a frame and stuck her copy of the picture in it and placed it on her desk in her office. Nathan smiled when he saw where she placed it, right above her computer so it was like they were watching her. As he stood there he envisioned the room filling up with pictures of their sons and other children that they would have as time went on. Smiling he kissed Brooke sweetly.

"Do you wanna call your dad and tell him the news?" Nathan asked.

"Of course but if that skank stepmother of mine answers the phone I'm hanging up," Brooke replied. She was glad her father wasn't alone but she didn't like the woman he had remarried since her mom had died. Not only that but Brooke wasn't crazy about how soon after her mother's death they had gotten married. Almost to the point where she wanted to boycott the wedding and would have if she didn't love weddings and because Nathan convinced her it was the right thing for her to do as his daughter.

"Hi Daddy," she said when he picked up.

"Hi sweetie. How are you?" James Davis asked his oldest daughter.

"Good. I have something I want to share with you."

"Ok. What is it? Are you in trouble?" James was nervous, Brooke only called when she needed money or to tell him about big events in her life. He had been thrilled for her when she called to tell him that Nathan proposed and when she called to tell him that she was pregnant.

"No Daddy I'm not in trouble."

"Oh good. Then what is it?"

"I'm having twins."

"Brookie that's great. You and Nathan must be excited."

"We are Daddy."

"I'm happy for you little girl."

"Thank you Daddy."

"You're gonna have two grandsons in about 4 ½ months."

"I'm looking forward to it."

"Excellent. How are my brother and sister doing?"

James and his wife, Alexis, have two kids together, a son and daughter and Alexis has two sons from previous relationships. Matthew Ryan Davis is 2 years old and Shannon Grace Davis is 7 months old. Alexis' sons, Jeffrey Timothy and Kyle Brendan Jackson are 20 and 15. Brooke hadn't met them yet so it was typical of her not to ask about them.

"Matthew and Shannon are doing well. Shannon looks just like you did when you were a baby."

"Of course, we Davis girls are gorgeous Daddy."

James laughed. He knew Brooke was gonna say something like that. She always did. It was times like this that made him wish he and Julie had had more kids but most of the time he was grateful to have Brooke.

"Congratulations again sweetheart but I have to cut this conversation short. Jeff and Kyle are here tonight so we're going out for dinner. Keep me posted with everything. I love you," James said.

"Thank you Daddy. And I love you too," Brooke replied.

"Bye peanut."

"Bye Daddy."

She hung up and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. It had been a while since she had been out to California to see her dad. But the fact that she didn't like his new wife kept her away. James knew his daughter wasn't crazy about Alexis and although he couldn't understand why he never brought it up because he knew enough to know that it had to do with her mother.

"Nathan!" Brooke shouted.

"Yes baby?" Nathan asked.

"I wanna go out to California before the boys are born."

"Why? I thought you didn't like Alexis?"

"I don't. I don't wanna see her. I wanna go see my dad, Matthew and Shannon. I don't wanna give that bitch a chance to fill their heads with evil things about her "bitchy stepdaughter"."

"Babe your dad's not gonna let her do that. He loves you and will be filling their head with nothing but good things about their sister. As much as I know you want to see them I'm not sure I want you going out there right now."

"Brooke wanted to argue but decided it might not be worth it right now." Nathan was right. Her dad did love her and there was no way he would let Alexis tell Matthew and Shannon anything bad about her.

"Ok. Maybe I can have Dad bring them out here for a while or something."

Nathan nodded. He liked that arrangement much better. Even though he knew how much Brooke wanted to go to California. She hadn't gone since the week Shannon was born and before that she hadn't been out there since Matthew's first birthday.

"Ya, why don't you do that. You can call him back later and set something up. In the mean time we should call Karen and then Haley and Peyton if you want."

Brooke agreed. Nathan was right, they did have more phone calls to make about the twins. She couldn't wait to tell Karen. Brooke knew she would be excited for them. Haley and Peyton were somewhat of a mystery to Brooke. If things hadn't gotten screwed up with them she would have known for sure that they would be excited about the twins. Shaking her head of her thoughts Brooke dialed the number to Karen's Café figuring she would try to reach Karen there first before trying her cell or house.

"Karen's Café, how can I help you?" Deb answered.

"Deb, it's Brooke. Is Karen around?" Brooke asked hopefully.

"Oh well if it isn't the skank that ruined my son's life," Deb spat.

"Save it Deb. Is Karen there or not?" Brooke was in no mood to fight with anyone, especially not Deb.

"No she's not. Can I take a message though?"

"Don't bother. I'll call her cell phone."

Brooke hung up without waiting for Deb to respond and dialed Karen's cell phone number. She picked up after two rings.

"Brooke how are you sweetie?" Karen greeted happily.

"I'm good. I've got some news for you actually," Brooke replied.

"Oh ya? What's up?"

"Nathan and I went to the doctor today to determine the sex of the baby and we got a surprise of our own."

"Oh really? What's that?"

"We're having twin boys."

"Brooke hunny, that's wonderful! How excited was Nathan?"

"He's still ecstatic. I have a picture of the boys for you. I'll put in the mail tomorrow."

"Oh Brooke that's wonderful. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome. It's the least I could after everything you've done to help me. Which reminds me, I wanted to ask you something."

"What's that?"

"Well actually two things. First of all, would you be a bridesmaid for my wedding and second would it be all right if the boys call you Grandma?"

"Brooke I would love to be a bridesmaid in your wedding and of course the boys can call me Grandma. I always have thought of you as a daughter."

"I'm so glad. I promise to send you the picture tomorrow but I gotta go. Still need to call Haley and Peyton to tell them that we're having twins."

"Wow you're talking to Haley and Peyton again? How's that going for you?"

"It's tough at times but mostly I'm getting through it and glad to have them back in my life."

"Sweetie I'm so glad. Have a good night. Tell Nathan I said I'm happy for you guys. Love you honey."

"Love you too."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Brooke hung up and sighed happily. She was sitting at her desk smiling as she looked up at the picture of her sons. She couldn't wait for them to be born and to watch them grow up.


	15. Brooke & Haley

Brooke had just finished talking to Peyton about the twins and she was getting tired. Before calling Peyton Brooke had called Haley to tell her about the twins and they decided to hang out the next day because Brooke was took tired to do anything else for the rest of the day. Both girls were excited for Brooke. Haley told her if it was anything like it had been for her, Brooke was in for a long ride so to speak and she better sleep all she could now because once the twins were born sleep would be unheard of for a long time. Brooke just laughed but told Haley she appreciated the information anyway. She was exhausted. As soon as Brooke was off the phone she left her office and walked into the bedroom and changed into pajamas before climbing under the covers and falling asleep.

Nathan was downstairs in the living room watching a movie when he heard Brooke walking across the hall upstairs above him and then he heard the door to their bedroom close. He looked at the clock and was surprised that she was already heading to bed because it was only 6:45. It seemed to Nathan that Brooke had been going to bed earlier and earlier everyday. He hoped that didn't mean something was wrong just that she was tired. As he continued sitting on the couch Nathan made a mental note to talk to Brooke about her sleeping habits in the morning before he left if she was awake. Otherwise he would have to wait until he came back from the arena after practice and meetings and workouts. Nathan's movie was over about 15 minutes later and he turned it off and flipped through the channels. He smiled as he came across TBS and saw that the Braves were on. Although he only ever played basketball, Nathan was an enthusiastic Braves fan too.

"Yes! Come on boys, that's the way to be!" Nathan yelled excitedly as he watched the game.

Nathan got so wrapped up in the excitement of the game that he completely forgot that Brooke had gone to bed. He was reminded abruptly by the sound of Brooke shouting his name.

"NATHAN!" Brooke shouted from the bedroom.

"What?" Nathan yelled back.

"Keep it down you woke me up."

"Sorry baby. Go back to sleep. I'll be quiet."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Nathan turned the volume on the tv down and did his best to keep the yelling and hollering to a minimum so he wouldn't wake Brooke again. Before the game was over Nathan had fallen asleep in his recliner. Brooke smiled when she found Nathan asleep in his recliner with the tv still on.

"Nate, wake up, babe," Brooke whispered in his ear.

"Hmm," Nathan responded as he began to stir. He smiled when he opened his eyes and saw Brooke standing in front of him.

"Sleep well?"

"Yes. Did you?"

"After you stopped screaming and hollering yes. What were you watching anyway?"

"Baseball. The Braves were on tv."

"Oh. Did they win?"

"You know, I have no idea. I must have fallen asleep before the game was over."

With that Nathan grabbed the remote and changed the channel to ESPN. He was curious to find out if the Braves had won their game since he hadn't stayed awoke long enough to find out. He watched as scores for all the games from the night before scrolled at the bottom of the screen.

"Yes! They won," Nathan announced happily.

"Good I'm glad. What time are you going to the arena today?" Brooke asked.

"In a couple hours. It's gonna be a longer day today."

"What time are you thinking you'll be home?"

"I don't honestly know. I'll call you later on when I get a better idea. I think I have to do some press conference or something today. Also we have a photo shoot and team meetings today."

"This is what I have to look forward to for the rest of our lives while you're in the NBA?"

"Unfortunately. I'm sorry sweetie. Hey wait a minute, aren't you and Hales getting together today?"

"Yes."

"Don't complain then, you won't be bored. I know you and a day with Haley and four kids all under the age of 10 does not make for a boring day."

"I know. Ok let's go have breakfast. I don't need to be getting a phone call later saying you past out or something because you didn't eat before you left."

Nathan rolled his eyes. He knew Brooke meant well but he wasn't gonna pass out from skipping breakfast once in his life. Although today wasn't the day to skip especially if he was gonna be gone longer than he usually was. Nathan enjoyed breakfast because he got to spend extra time with his fiancé and he loved every minute he spent with her.

"Babe you coming?" Brooke asked as she had gotten up to go to the kitchen and realized she was alone.

"Absolutely," Nathan replied as he followed Brooke to the kitchen.

"What would you like for breakfast?"

"You."

"Nathan!"

Nathan looked at Brooke pretending to be clueless. She just looked at him and shook her head.

"Come here," he said as he pulled her into him.

Their lips crashed down on each other and Nathan sucked on Brooke's bottom lip and traced her bottom lip with his tongue begging entrance. Brooke happily granted entrance and their tongues danced with each other as they let their hands explore each other's bodies. Before Brooke could protest she found herself standing completely naked in their kitchen in front of Nathan who was equally naked.

"Babe," Brooke protested.

"Shh," Nathan replied as he put a finger to her lips and then proceeded to kiss her body lovingly.

Nathan couldn't stand it anymore so he pulled Brooke to the floor with him and slid himself inside her. They made love on their kitchen floor and it was the best sex either of them ever had. As Nathan could feel himself about to burst he pulled out causing Brooke to whimper.

"Baby, don't do that," she pouted.

"I don't wanna hurt the boys," he replied.

"Please baby."

Nathan complied with Brooke's pleading and slid himself inside her once again and the continued to move in perfect sync. Nathan felt a groan catch his throat as he released into Brooke. As soon as Brooke felt the warmth of Nathan's release hit her she moaned and dug her nails into his shoulders.

"Baby you're gonna be late," Brooke said breathlessly.

"This was more than worth it if I am," Nathan replied with a lopsided grin.

"Help me up and we can have some actual breakfast."

"I'll help you but I told you what I wanted for breakfast and I'm good now."

"Haha. Seriously Nate you need to eat something."

"All right. I give. How about pop-tarts today?"

"Ok, do you want strawberry, blueberry or raspberry?"

"Strawberry."

Brooke nodded as she grabbed two packs of strawberry pop-tarts and put all four in their industrial toaster. Originally Brooke didn't want this large toaster but it had come in handy numerous times already so she was glad to have it. The two of them sat at the kitchen table clad in only their under garments now just enjoying the silence.

"What time are you and Hales getting together today?" Nathan asked.

"I'm not sure but I think maybe around lunch time," Brooke replied.

"Well I hope you enjoy yourself but I need to go upstairs to shower and change for my day at the arena. Gotta make sure I don't smell like sex before I get to the arena."

"Not my fault. You seduced me."

"I know and it was damn well worth it let me tell you."

"Well I'm not one to disappoint the fellas."

"You've never disappointed me that's for sure."

"Ok new subject please."

Nathan laughed. He grabbed Brooke's hand and brought it to his lips in dramatic fashion. Brooke blushed at this action, she was amazed at how much her heart still flipped at the slightest touch from Nathan. She knew Nathan was the guy for her when she wasn't ready to run after being with him for a year like she had done with other guys.

"All right I'm off. See you tonight babe," Nathan said a little while later as he walked back into the kitchen.

"Don't work too hard," Brooke told him.

Nathan just left and walked out the door. They both knew he never worked "too" hard but always hard enough. He was no slacker on the court or in the weight room and sometimes he wanted to blame Dan other times he was thankful to Dan for this trait. Brooke cleaned up the rest of their mess from breakfast before going up to take a shower and get ready for her day. She was looking forward to meeting Haley's kids and seeing Jenny again. The last time Brooke saw her she was a baby.

"Hales, it's Brooke. Do you want to come over here or should I come over there?" Brooke asked when she called Haley.

"How about you come over here so I don't have to load the kids into the car," Haley replied.

"Sure no problem. What time is good for you?"

"Whenever. The kids are excited. Well Bella and Jenny are anyway. Colin and Lucas have no idea what's really going on."

"Cool. Tell them I can't wait either. I'll be there in a little while if that's ok?"

"Ya that's fine. See you in a little while. Bye Brooke."

"Bye Hales."

Both girls hung up their phones and Brooke went to do her make-up before leaving to go see Haley and the kids.

"Brooke! Hey!" Haley said happily as she opened the front door to let her friend in.

"Hey Hales," Brooke said just as happily. She hugged her friend quickly and noticed that there was a little boy standing behind Haley.

"Momma!" the little boy cried. Haley turned around and lifted her son off the floor.

"Yes baby?" Haley asked her son.

"Jew." He held his cup out to her.

"Colin do you want more juice?" He smiled and clapped his hands together. Brooke watched in awe. She had been right, just watching Haley with Colin told Brooke that Haley really was good at being a mother.

"They're adorable Hales," Brooke said once they were in the living room and Haley had gotten Colin some more juice. They watched as Colin and Lucas interacted with each other. It was the cutest thing Brooke had ever seen and she instinctively placed a hand over her stomach. She hoped that her sons got along the same way Haley's sons seemed to be getting along.

"Thanks Brooke," Haley replied.

Brooke just nodded as she kept her eyes on Colin and Lucas. The more she looked at them the more she realized that they looked like mirror images of Jake with Haley's smile and her eyes.

"Jenny! Bella! Can you come to the living room please!" Haley shouted from the bottom of the stairs.

"Coming Mommy!" the girls yelled back. Haley walked back to the living room and not even thirty seconds later she could hear two sets of feet running down the stairs.

"Who's that?" Jenny asked pointing to Brooke when her and Bella walked into the room.

"Jenny that's your Auntie Brooke," Haley told her daughter.

"Oh ok." Jenny shrugged her shoulders and was about to leave the room again when Haley grabbed hold of her and sat down with her.

"Mommy! Let me go!" Jenny wailed.

"No. You need to be polite," Haley replied firmly.

"Hales, it's ok. I didn't think Jenny would remember me," Brooke interjected.

"Hi, I'm Bella," the other little girl said as she walked over to Brooke and put her hand out.

"Hi, Bella, I'm Brooke," she said as she shook Bella's hand.

"Do you know my daddy?"

"Yes I do. I've known him since I was a little girl like you."

"Wow. That's a long time."

"Don't I know it."

Brooke looked over to Haley and they shared a knowing smile. It really was a long time to know someone. The two of them had known each other for almost as long.

"Bella is a very pretty name. What's it short for?" Brooke asked curiously.

"Isabella. Isabella Brooke James," Bella replied.

"I like that. It's pretty."

"Mommy said she wanted to give me a name that was special to her and she liked the way Isabella Brooke flowed the best."

"Bella, that's not what Mommy told you," Haley laughed, "I told her that I wanted to name her after you but couldn't bear the idea of another Brooke Penelope in the world so I toyed with a few different ideas til I came up with Isabella Brooke."

"Hales that's sweet. I gotta tell you, I'm surprised though. I figured it would be Peyton to name a daughter after me. But it's not gonna work if she doesn't have any daughters," Brooke said.

"Mommy who's Peyton?" Jenny asked.

"Peyton was Daddy's girlfriend in high school. She helped him take care of you when you were a baby," Haley explained to Jenny, hoping the little girl didn't ask why she didn't help Jake take care of her.

"How come you didn't help him Mommy?"

"I didn't know Daddy very well until we got to college and then I helped him."

"Oh."

Haley breathed a sigh of relief. Jenny seemed content with her answers about why Peyton helped Jake take care of her and she didn't when she was a baby. Talking about Nikki always made Haley's blood boil and it wasn't her place to tell Jenny about her birth mother, she and Jake had agreed that when the time was right he would sit down with Jenny and tell her everything.

"What are you naming your sons?" Haley asked turning her attention back to Brooke who was watching Colin and Lucas again.

"Well we can only agree on a name for one of them so far. I'm thinking the first twin to be born will be Nathan Davis Scott. Nate and I will have to talk about names for the other baby later on," Brooke answered.

"Nathan Davis? I like it. That way you can say he's named after both his parents."

"That's exactly what I was thinking when I thought of the name. Nathan wasn't too sure about it at first but he agreed to it after a while. I wanted to name him Nathan Lee Jr but that was shot down so fast I think my head spun around."

"Sounds like Nathan."

"Yup."

"That's kinda what happened with Jake and I when we were trying to name the boys. I wanted to use his name but he didn't want to. Said he wanted to give his sons names completely separate from his. It took a while but eventually we came up with Colin Tyler and Lucas Dominic."

"Wow those are great names."

"Thanks Brooke. I hope they agree when they're old enough to know."

"I'm sure they will. Oh I almost forgot. I have something for you."

Brooke reached into her purse and carefully took out the picture of the twins that she had Dr. Scott print for Haley. She handed it to Haley who smiled warmly and stared at the picture in her hands wordlessly. After sitting there for a few minutes Haley got up to put the picture out of the reach of her four kids. She didn't want any of them grabbing it and losing it or ripping it to shreds.

"Brooke you didn't have to do that," Haley told her when she came back.

"Yes I did. It would have been immature of me not to just because we weren't talking when you were pregnant with Bella and then Colin and Lucas. Besides, Nathan and I wanted you to have a copy of the picture. I'm sending one to Peyton too. Maybe the three of us can get together and do something whenever she gets her scrawny butt out here," Brooke replied.

"Absolutely. Hey do you wanna take the kids to McDonald's? We can let Jenny and Bella run around in the play area while we talk and I can put the boys in their stroller."

"Sure. I am getting kinda hungry."

"I figured."

"Haha."

"Bella, Jenny. Come here please."

Bella and Jenny raced into the living room and stood in front of Haley.

"Yes Mommy?" they asked.

"How would you girls like to have lunch at McDonald's and play in the play area while Auntie Brooke and Mommy talk about grown up stuff?" Haley asked them.

"YAY!" The girls squealed happily and started jumping up and down. Brooke and Haley watched them and started laughing. Brooke was remembering when her and Peyton would do that, before she really knew Haley. Haley was thinking back to when she would get excited about that kind of thing with Lucas when they were kids. Looking at Bella made her miss him more. It had been a while since they had gotten together but Haley wasn't gonna dwell on that.

"All right girls. Go get your jackets and Bella get some shoes on your feet," Haley said.

"Can I help you get them ready?" Brooke asked.

"No thanks I've got it. Unless you wanna lock the house up for me?"

"Ok, as long as you'll let me do something."

"Believe me, I know the feeling. Been there."

"No kidding."

The two girls just laughed as Haley walked over to where Colin and Lucas were playing on the floor. She wrinkled her nose as she lifted Colin. He was in desperate need of a fresh diaper.

"Colin you stink!" Haley exclaimed as she laid him on the floor to change his diaper. Lucas was sitting on the couch with Brooke so he didn't get in the way or get dirty. Haley learned that the hard way when they were still real small and just learning to crawl. She was changing Colin and Lucas crawled over and stuck his hand in the dirty diaper and wiped the mess on the rug and all over himself.

"Colin stink!" Lucas squealed.

"Yes he does," Brooke said as she lifted Lucas onto her lap. He squirmed a bit at first and then settled into Brooke's embrace. Haley glanced up at them as she was finishing with Colin's diaper and smiled.

"Stay right there," she said suddenly as she lifted Colin off the floor along with the dirty diaper and went to find her camera. As soon as she found it she went back to the living room and took a picture of Brooke and Lucas sitting on the couch.

"Here, let me take him from you," Haley said as she lifted Lucas from Brooke's lap.

"Aw come on Hales," Brooke whined but stopped as soon as Haley placed Colin on her lap.

"I'm gonna change Lucas' diaper now don't have a heart attack," Haley teased as she laid her other son on the floor and repeated the process. And then just as she had done when Brooke was holding Lucas, Haley took a picture of Brooke holding Colin.

"Mommy! Are we leaving?" Jenny yelled from the door.

"In a minute sweetheart," Haley replied as she took Colin from Brooke and then helped Brooke off the couch.

"Mommy I want to get chicken nuggets," Bella said as they got into the car.

"Ok sweetie. Jenny do you want chicken too?"

"No thank you. I want a cheeseburger please," Jenny replied

"Ok. Chocolate milk for both of you?"

"Mommy I don't like chocolate milk," Bella whined.

"You don't?"

"Nooo!"

"Me either Mommy!" Jenny exclaimed.

"Since when Jenny?" Haley asked as she glanced at her daughter in the rear view mirror.

Jenny crossed her arms and pretended to be upset that she was caught in a "lie". But it didn't last long.

"Bella if you don't like chocolate milk would you like regular milk instead?"

"Yes please," Bella answered politely.

"Wow for being with Chris a lot I'm impressed at the manners," Brooke commented.

"It is pretty astonishing but I told him he better not raise her to be rude and so far it seems like he listened to me. And he's not even her father," Haley laughed.

"You know Chris too Brooke?" Bella asked surprisingly.

"Yes I do," Brooke answered. Then she muttered "unfortunately" under her breath so Bella didn't hear her. Haley did catch it however and she couldn't help but smile at Brooke. It was rather unfortunate that Brooke knew Chris and Haley knew it was her fault but there was no point in dwelling on that fact.

When the golden arches came into view Bella and Jenny cheered. Being 6 years old, they both loved going to McDonald's and Haley was happy to treat them. She pulled into the parking lot and they screamed louder.

"Girls, please stop squealing. People are going to think you're being hurt," Haley said as she tried to suppress her laughter. Brooke, on the other hand, wasn't trying to suppress her laughter and the girls found it amusing. Haley whipped her head around and shot Brooke a glare. As soon as Haley had Colin and Lucas out and in their stroller, Bella and Jenny jumped out of the back and ran towards the door while Haley and Brooke walked across the parking lot at a slower pace. Haley because she was trying to maneuver the large stroller and Brooke because that was all she could do with her growing stomach.

They walked into the restaurant and ordered their food. As soon as it was done they took it to the tables in the play area so that Bella and Jenny could play as soon as they were done eating, leaving Brooke and Haley to talk while the boys ate some of Haley's fries. While Bella and Jenny played, Brooke and Haley talked about anything and everything they could think of. Brooke was glad they were getting this opportunity and she could tell Haley felt the same way.

"You know, I really missed you Hales," Brooke said seriously.

"I missed you too Brooke," Haley replied.

"Ok so look, I have a question I wanted to ask you."

"What's up?"

"Will you be my maid of honor?"

_Oh I know. You all hate me for stopping there. But I needed to have a cliffhanger! It's a guarantee that someone will be curious and come back. You know what to do!_


	16. Not Going Anywhere Baby

Haley was stunned. She couldn't believe what Brooke just asked her. It was the last thing she expected her to ask after the way she left Brooke after high school.

"Hales?" Brooke said shaking her from her thoughts.

"Hmm?" Haley replied.

"Will you?"

"I dunno, Brooke. Are you sure you want someone who turned their back on you for four and a half years to be the maid of honor in your wedding? What I did certainly doesn't show honor."

"Haley, please. I agree with some of that but you're still my best friend and I still want you to be the maid of honor in my wedding."

"What about Peyton?"

"Haley. If I wanted Peyton to be the maid of honor in my wedding I wouldn't be asking you."

"Why don't you?" Haley had made up her mind but now she was stalling just to bug Brooke.

"Hales, you're killing me here!" Brooke was going crazy. It really seemed to her like Haley was about to say no she wouldn't the maid of honor in her and Nathan's wedding.

"Of course I will Brooke."

"Thank you Hales!" Brooke was ecstatic but at the same time she wanted to smack Haley for dragging out her response.

"You're so impatient sometimes," Haley laughed.

"Well it was a big question. I really thought you were gonna say no," Brooke shot back.

"I know you did. But it was fun to watch you squirm."

"Your mommy's evil," Brooke said with a smile as she looked down at the twins, who had fallen asleep.

"I think they got bored listening to our conversation."

"Not likely."

Haley laughed at Brooke. It had been a really great afternoon for them so far. She was glad that she agreed to spend that particular day with Brooke. They both needed this. And so far nobody had screamed or shed a tear. Well not an angry tear.

"Mommy! Bella spitted at me!" Jenny screamed as she came running over to the table.

"Isabella!" Haley yelled. The little girl sulked over to the table. "Did you spit at your sister?"

"Yes ma'am," Bella said not looking up from the floor.

"Apologize and then I want you both to get your shoes. We're going home."

"Sorry Jenny," Bella said.

"Ok," Jenny accepted. The two walked over to the shoe rack and grabbed their shoes before sitting on the floor to put them on.

"You ready?" Haley asked them when they came back to the table. They just nodded. Haley and Brooke stood up and cleared their trash before leaving the restaurant. When they got back to the house, all four of the kids were asleep.

"Hales, I think I'm gonna head back to my house. I'm getting kinda tired and I'm sure you'll want to enjoy the peace and quiet while they're all napping," Brooke said as she got out of the car.

"You sure? You could stay here and take a nap. I wouldn't mind," Haley responded.

"Thanks for the offer but I think I'm gonna head back. I'll see you later."

Haley walked around to Brooke's side of the car and wrapped her into a hug. Brooke returned the hug and smiled as she realized everything was gonna be fine between them.

"Bye Brooke."

"Bye Hales."

Brooke released her grip on Haley and walked to her car. She waited til Haley had all the kids in the house before pulling out of their driveway. She was listening to the radio when suddenly the deejay said something about Chris Keller. Instinctively, Brooke turned the radio up out of curiosity.

"Tragedy struck again in Hollywood. Front man, Chris Keller, of the North Carolina based rock band, Keller Instinct, was killed in a plane crash earlier yesterday morning. The plane was traveling to Georgia from Newark, NJ when it exploded mid air. There is no word if any other members of the band were also on that plane at this time."

"Oh my god," Brooke whispered. Instinctively she grabbed her cell phone and called Haley.

"Hey Brooke didn't I just see you?" Haley laughed as she answered the phone.

"Chris is dead," Brooke answered.

"What? Are you sure?"

"I just heard it on the radio. He died in a plane crash."

"Oh god. Bella's gonna be crushed."

"I'm sorry Hales. I thought you should know."

"It's not your fault."

"I know. Well I should go. I'm home now and I really wanna take a nap."

"Ok. Thanks for letting me know."

"You're welcome. Bye Hales."

"Bye Brooke."

Brooke closed her phone as she shut off her car and walked up to the front door. There was a package between the storm door and the door that went into the house. Brooke carefully bent down to pick it up. She checked to see who it was for and she got nervous when she saw the name on the return address was Dan Scott.

"What the hell could he be sending Nathan?" Brooke wondered aloud as she walked into the house.

Instead of worrying about it, Brooke set the package on Nathan's recliner and went upstairs to the bedroom. She hadn't been gone that long but suddenly she felt very tired. As soon as Brooke was in the bedroom she kicked her shoes off and changed into sweat pants and a tank top before climbing under the covers. Her eyes were closed as soon as her head hit the pillow and she didn't wake up til she heard the front door open, telling her Nathan was home.

"Brooke!" Nathan called as he walked through the door. No answer.

He walked into the living room and saw a package on his chair. His stomach dropped when he saw that it was from Dan. Nathan didn't want to open it. He knew that whatever was inside would upset Brooke and it was obvious she had seen the package otherwise it would have still been in the door when he got home and not on his chair. His fingers shook as he cut into the tape with his keys and pulled the box open. Inside it was a stack of papers. Nathan's palms were sweating as he lifted them out and saw that underneath was a smaller box.

"Son of a bitch," Nathan whispered as he read the papers. Dan was cutting Nathan off financially and threatening to tell Brooke about some crap about Nathan getting Peyton pregnant in high school and then forcing her to have the baby aborted. Nathan knew he couldn't let Brooke see these papers even though he knew that it was a lie. He had never slept with Peyton and if he had, he wouldn't have forced to her to have an abortion. That wasn't Nathan's style. After reading the papers he didn't want to know what was in the box. Nervously, Nathan lifted the smaller box out of the larger box and opened it. He had to hold back his screams as he found himself staring at a mound of gray ashes. Dan had gone too far. He sent Nathan half of Keith's ashes.

"How the hell did he get a hold of these?" Nathan wondered as he closed the box back up. Dan was a sick bastard and Nathan figured this was his way of getting back at him for not telling him that Brooke was pregnant with twins. Nathan didn't want Dan and Deb to know because it was just like he had told Brooke, he didn't want them to be involved in their children's lives in anyway.

"Luke," Nathan said as he flipped his cell open to call his brother.

"What's wrong Nate?" Lucas replied when he heard the nerves in Nathan's voice.

"Dan's hit an all time low."

"What did he do now?"

"Sent me a box with half of Keith's ashes along with papers to tell me that he's cutting me off financially and threatening to tell Brooke about some abortion I supposedly paid Peyton to have in high school. Luke I never even slept with her! This is so messed up. Why can't he leave me alone now?"

"Shit I'm sorry man. How the hell did Dan get his hands on Keith's ashes? Mom had them in her house."

"I don't know. But it says on the inside flap "all that's left of your loser uncle. – Dad". Luke, something's really messed up here. Why does he have to pull shit like this?"

"Nate I have no idea. You're gonna have to go to Tree Hill and confront him."

"No way I can go to Tree Hill. I'll fuck up the rest of my life and Brooke's life and the lives of my unborn sons because if I go down there, I'll kill the bastard with my bare hands and end up in jail for the rest of my life."

"Don't go now. Go once you've cooled off some. Take Brooke with you."

"Luke I wouldn't let her fly out to California to see her dad. There's no way I'm gonna have her fly to Tree Hill with me so I can chew Dan out and tell him what a low life prick he is. That'll be way too much stress on her and the babies and I can't risk that."

"Nathan what's wrong?" Brooke asked when she came down the stairs into the living room.

"Luke I gotta go. Brooke just walked in. I need to talk to her about this."

"All right later man."

Nathan hung up the phone and looked at Brooke. He knew she could see the nerves in his eyes.

"Baby? Are you all right?" Brooke asked worriedly.

"No. Dan's trying to destroy my life. Again but he's taken a new approach," Nathan explained.

"What did he do?"

"Well he cut me off financially first of all which I could careless about. But this, this is the problem. He's threatening to tell you some lie about me getting Peyton pregnant and paying her off to get rid of the kid and have an abortion in high school. That is such crap. I never even had sex with Peyton in high school. And if I had, I wouldn't have made her get an abortion if she turned up pregnant. Oh and you see that little box. Don't open it. It's got half of what's left of Keith in it. Dan didn't have them in his house. Karen had them so it worries me that he claims that those are Keith's ashes. For the first time in my life, I feel completely powerless to stop Dan and I'm hundreds of miles away!"

Nathan was angry he had no idea that he was crying. Brooke watched Nathan fall apart and she felt her heart break for him. She knew that he and Peyton never had sex in high school so there was no way she would have believed Dan if he did say anything to her about that. She really hated what Dan was doing to Nathan. The only other time she could remember seeing him cry was at Keith's funeral. And even then he tried to hold it in.

"Baby, I'm so sorry. Come here," Brooke said as she held her hands out to Nathan.

He reached out to her and she pulled him in. Nathan held onto Brooke and just cried. He couldn't remember a time in his life he felt so weak. Brooke held Nathan while he cried and whispered in his ear that she wasn't going anywhere no matter what Dan did to try and break them up. They were a team and they were always gonna be together.

"Nathan listen to me. Dan can't screw this up for us. I love you and nothing he can do or say can change that. You're it for me. I'm not gonna bail on you ever," Brooke said after Nathan had calmed down.

"I love you too Brooke. I just wish Dan would leave me alone," Nathan replied trying to keep the anger out of his tone.

"Oh he will when I'm done with him." Brooke saw Nathan's cell phone sitting on the table next to his chair. She grabbed it and opened it to call Dan. She was beyond pissed at the man who dared to call himself a father to her fiancé.

"Brooke what are you doing?"

"Just gonna have a little chat with Dan."

"Brooke, no. Please don't."

"Nathan, it's all right. I can hold my own against him."

Nathan shrugged. Brooke had made up her mind. There was no stopping her now. He only hoped that Dan didn't say anything to make her cry or he was gonna have to go to Tree Hill and risk his future.

"Hello Dan," Brooke spat when he answered the phone.

"Brooke, well this is a pleasant surprise," Dan replied with false enthusiasm in his voice.

"Cut the bullshit you sick fuck! You must really hate the fact that Nathan found real love to stoop to the level you hit. Sending him a box with half of his dead uncle and papers filled with lies. What the hell kind of joke is that?"

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."

"Like hell you don't know what I'm talking about. You sent the damn package. There are papers in there telling Nathan you will no longer support him financially. Well that's just fine. Nathan and I don't need your money you filthy pig. We can earn our money. We don't need you to bail us out. And what the hell were you thinking telling Nathan you're gonna tell me some bullshit lie about Peyton being pregnant with Nathan's child and him paying for her to have the child aborted in high school? They never even slept together you moron! You might want to check on things like that before you pull another fucked up stunt like this one. I told Nathan we should invite you and Deb to the wedding but you can now consider yourselves officially uninvited. Leave my fiancé alone."

"What if I don't?"

"You will."

"How can you be sure?"

"You will leave Nathan alone or I will blow the cover on your scandalous deeds at the dealership and everyone will know what really happened to Keith."

Dan was speechless. That never happened to him. Most people didn't know how to face Dan and here he was, speechless after his son's fiancé had screamed at him and threatened him.

"That's what I thought," Brooke said satisfied.

"Let me talk to my son," Dan seethed.

"Here, he's all yours." Brooke smirked as she handed the phone to Nathan.

"What the fuck is wrong with you man? Do you think I care that you're cutting me off financially? I've been waiting for that day. Brooke's right. We don't need your money. And if we did, I don't want it. This is the biggest load of shit you've pulled on me in my life. You're just pissed because you found out from Karen that Brooke's having twins. Well guess what, you will not be a part of their lives because as soon as we're done here I'm never speaking to you again," Nathan barked into the phone.

"What is wrong with me? You disrespect me and you have the balls to ask what is wrong with me? That's real swift Nathan," Dan yelled back.

"I disrespected you? How? By going to college in another state? Get over it man. Or was it the fact that I didn't get drafted number? You know what? I'm glad I didn't get drafted number. I don't want that on my conscious. It's bad enough I have to live with the Scott name hanging over my head. That's more shit then I need. Grow up man! You're ridiculous."

"I'll tell you what's ridiculous. The fact that you don't seem the least bit thankful for all I did to help you get to the NBA in the first place."

"All you did? Damn it you didn't do shit to help me! All you did was push me and force me to spend all my spare time working out. That's not what kids are supposed to be doing for fun. But that didn't matter to you because you didn't care about fun. You just wanted to make sure I knew that you had control over my life. Well not anymore. Not since I was 18. Deal with it."

"You ungrateful little prick."

"You're kidding me right? What should I be grateful to you about? The fact that you gave me life? That's about the only thing I can think of and even that makes me physically sick. Everyday I hope and pray that my sons never hate me. I hope they'll always love me and that we don't have a relationship like what I had with you."

"You still have a relationship with me son."

"Screw you! I have nothing with you. I don't need you or your bullshit antics anymore. We're through. Get your head out of your ass and if you think Brooke was kidding about you and Mom no longer being invited to our wedding let me reassure you. She's not kidding. If I see either of you at the ceremony I'll kill you both."

Nathan was beyond furious now. He wanted to jump through the phone and choke the life out of Dan. It was moments like these that he wished he could without screwing up other people's lives in the process but Nathan had to think about Brooke and the twins. Life wasn't just about him anymore and it never would be again. Everything he did affected them now too and he had to be conscientious about that.

"Nathan, slow down baby," Brooke whispered in his ear.

"Nathan, slow down baby," Dan mimicked sinisterly.

"Fuck you man!" Nathan yelled into the phone. Brooke jumped back at the sound of Nathan's voice. She hated when things got like this but knew enough to know it was Dan he was screaming at, and not her. When Nathan did yell at her it was never that fierce though.

"I'm touched Nathan, really," Dan laughed.

"Don't be cute. This is not amusing. At all."

"No? I'm entertained."

"You would be. I'm not even gonna ask how you got Uncle Keith's ashes."

"I didn't."

"What the?"

"Scared you didn't I."

"You hated Uncle Keith. Why would you screw around with his ashes?"

"That bitch doesn't deserve to have sole possession of those ashes."

"I don't want them! I don't need a box full of his remains to be reminded that he's gone. I think about it all the time. I'm sending them back to Karen and if Lucas calls to tell me you did the same to him I'll kill you!"

"You wouldn't dare."

"Don't try me. I'm so pissed at you that I could probably do it with one hand behind my back."

"Nathan please," Brooke pleaded. She was worried about him. He never got this intense in his fights with Dan.

"Listen to your bitch," Dan said.

"That's it. I've had enough. We're done. And don't you _ever_ say that about my fiancé again." Nathan slammed his phone shut and screamed angrily.

"Do I dare ask what he said about me?" Brooke questioned.

"No," Nathan replied.

They were silent for a few minutes before Nathan said something again.

"How do you know what happened to Keith?" he asked.

"I saw Dan do it," Brooke answered.

"What do you mean you saw Dan do it? Brooke, Keith was killed at the high school. Dan wasn't there."

"Yes he was. Nathan, Dan shot Keith. I'm sorry but that's the truth."

"Asshole!" Nathan dropped down into the recliner and buried his head in his hands. This was turning out to be a shitty night. He wanted it to just stop. He wasn't sure he'd have the strength to hold himself together if it got any worse.

Brooke watched as Nathan crumbled for the second time in about an hour. She felt helplessly horrible. There wasn't anything she could say to Nathan to take away the anger or the pain. She grabbed onto his hand and held it tightly. They had a long night ahead of them and this time the roles were reversed. Brooke was gonna have to be Nathan's shoulder to cry on but she didn't mind at all.

"I love you baby and I'm not going anywhere," she whispered as she slid herself onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his shaking frame.

"I love you too," Nathan choked out.

Brooke leaned her head on his shoulder and they just sat in the recliner silently. The only sound in the entire house was Nathan's crying. It stayed that way until he was all cried out and had fallen asleep. Brooke had fallen asleep shortly after and stayed with Nathan. She meant every word she said. She wasn't going anywhere.


	17. Saving Nathan

Nathan had been walking around with a permanent scowl since his fight with Dan. Nothing anyone did he could shake the sour look on his face and that worried Brooke. She hated that he was still so upset but for the most part she couldn't blame him. She just wished he would talk to her. He wasn't home as he was at the arena with the team and Brooke was at her office working on some story about the Nets off season workouts. Since she wasn't the only writer for the Nets on staff with this paper she almost never got to interview Nathan but that was ok because she didn't want it be seen as professional biased if she was interviewing her fiancé.

"Davis, I need you to head over to the arena. See if you can get that rookie Jake Jaglieski to talk to you today," Dave Lewis, sports editor, said poking his head into Brooke's office.

"Sure, no problem Dave," Brooke replied as she saved her work and shut off her computer before leaving to go to the arena. An interview with Jake, could she handle that? She wasn't sure but she didn't have time for the doubts. Dave needed her to do a job and she was gonna have to push all personal feelings aside and get it done. Or kiss her job good-bye.

"Nate what's goin on with you lately bro?" Jake asked as him and Nathan were playing a little one on one.

"I don't wanna talk about it," Nathan replied coldly. He hadn't been talking to anyone, not even Brooke, since he had talked to Dan.

"Dude you can't bring that stuff on the court with you. Whatever it is, leave it at home. You'll mess up your game if you don't."

"Jake please. Just drop it." Nathan could feel his anger rising and he really wasn't in the mood for an argument or to cause a disruption.

"Whatever man." Jake sighed as he realized Nathan was set in his decision. There would be no talking about whatever was bothering him. He hoped that Nathan was at least talking to Brooke about whatever it was but by the looks of things Jake was guessing not.

"Jake Jaglieski. Just the man I was looking for," he heard Brooke say from behind him. Jake turned around slowly to see a radiant Brooke Davis making her way over to him.

"Hey Brooke, what can I do for you?" Jake asked.

"Let me interview you for the paper."

"Sure. And then maybe you can tell me what's gotten into Nathan."

"Oh god. He's freezing you out too?"

"Yup. He won't tell me what's going on and I thought you'd know but maybe you don't."

"No I do. But he's not talking to me about anymore so I don't know why he's still hanging on to it."

"All right. Enough about Nathan. Let's have that interview shall we?" Jake flashed Brooke a smile and she nodded. About 15 minutes later Brooke was done with her interview and she was getting ready to leave when Nathan came over to where they were sitting.

"Hey sweetie," he said as he kissed her sweetly.

"Hey babe. Don't freeze Jake out. Talk to him, he's your friend," Brooke replied knowing she had to do something before the two guys got into a fight.

"Brooke."

"Nathan, I'm serious. Jake didn't do anything wrong. He just wants to know what's going on with you. Now you can either talk to him about it calmly or blow up at him later because you can't keep inside any longer. It's up to you but I hope you make the right choice. I gotta get back to the office so I'll see you later."

"Brooke, wait."

"What Nathan?"

"It's not that easy. I can't just talk to Jake about this. I don't want to think about the fact that Dan shot Keith, never mind talk about it. It hurts too much. I can't do it."

"I didn't say go into detail but at least tell Jake that's what's bothering you. It'll make you feel better if you do and if you can't do that much leave your drama at home."

Nathan rolled his eyes. Now Brooke was sounding like Jake but he knew they were right. If he couldn't talk about it or focus on his game because of it, he needed to leave his personal drama at the door. Carrying personal drama onto the basketball court never did any good for his game and he didn't want to mess anything up because Dan was once again in his head.

"Thanks Brooke. I love you sweetheart," Nathan said as he wrapped his sweaty arms around Brooke's frame.

"I love you too but could you please get your sweaty arms off me," Brooke laughed. Nathan smiled and let go of the hug. Standing on her tiptoes Brooke kissed Nathan quickly before turning to leave the arena. She was getting hungry and now that she had gotten her interview with Jake she another piece to write. It was gonna be a long day for her.

Nathan watched as Brooke left before going over to where Jake was standing still holding the basketball.

"Look man, whatever's going on you can tell me," Jake said.

"I know but I don't wanna think about it," Nathan replied, "but I can't get it out of my head."

"Come on, you know you can trust me. Nate what's up?"

"Dan shot Keith."

"What? I thought Keith was killed in the shooting at the high school?"

"He was."

"Then how do you know Dan did it?"

"Brooke told me. Jake, she _saw_ Dan do it. That sick bastard had the balls to kill his brother and then pretend like he was grieving with the rest of us."

"How did this come about?"

Nathan recapped the entire thing for Jake but make sure to leave out the parts where he cried. Nathan Scott was not known as a crier and he didn't want to change that.

"Oh shit. Man, I'm sorry. At least you've got a great girl by your side," Jake said when Nathan was done.

"Don't I know it. She's the best girl anyone could ask for," Nathan replied. Jake raised an eyebrow at Nathan.

"Ok, she's the best girl I could ask for," Nathan laughed.

"That's better."

"Jaglieski, Scott! Get off the bleachers. This isn't social hour!" Coach Frank yelled as he walked into the gym.

"Sorry Coach," they said in unison as they stood up and went back to playing.

After they were done practicing Nathan and Jake went to the weight room to lift for a while before going home for the day.

"Nathan take it easy," Jake said as he watched his friend push himself.

"I'm fine," Nathan grunted as he continued lifting the heavy weights with all his might. He could feel his knees about to buckle underneath he but he didn't want to stop. He kept pushing until he couldn't do anymore. Just as he was about to lift the weight for another set of reps he felt his knee give out under him. Jake saw Nathan falling to floor and he grabbed onto the weight and his friend so the weight didn't crush Nathan.

"Nathan, you're not fine. Go home before you kill yourself," Jake said as he helped Nathan stand on his feet.

"Who do you think you are? My mother. I don't have to listen to you," Nathan snapped as he grabbed the weight intending to do more reps. Jake put his hand on the weight and pushed against it. Nathan grunted at Jake to move but Jake didn't budge.

"Damn it Nate. Don't do this. You're pissed at Dan, I get that but working yourself to death isn't gonna solve anything. It's only gonna hurt Brooke and your sons. Now stop. Go home to Brooke and let her take care of you. Clear your head man."

"Fine!" Nathan let go of the weight and shoved his way past Jake to the locker room. He threw his gear in his bag and stormed out of the building without showering.

The entire ride home Nathan was fuming with anger. He wanted to kill Dan. It wasn't like him to let Dan's actions get to him on the basketball court or in the weight room. Those were supposed to be the two places Nathan could go to escape from Dan. This time was different. It felt like he was more angry at Dan as soon as he had gotten to the arena that morning. All he wanted to do now was go home to Brooke and forget about his day of basketball. He pulled into the driveway and went into the house slamming the door behind him. Usually he would yell to let Brooke know he had come home but this time was different. Nathan stormed up the stairs and went straight to the shower. This mood he was in was really starting to get on his nerves but he had no idea how to shake it.

"Nathan," Brooke said as she knocked on the bathroom door.

"What!" he snapped.

"Don't snap at me."

"Brooke I'm not in the mood to play games. Whatever it is, just say it."

"What's wrong with you? Why are you storming around the house and slamming doors?"

Nathan swung the bathroom door open and looked Brooke straight in the eye. He couldn't believe she didn't understand why he was angry. Brooke saw the anger in his eyes and knew they were in for a fight now.

"Are you serious? Did you not witness my complete break down after Dan's stunt the other night?"

"Yes but Nathan you never let anything Dan does get to you like this. Why now?"

"Because my fiancé knew the truth about who really killed my uncle and didn't bother to tell me for 5 years. Five years Brooke! You knew the truth and let me wonder who or why Keith was dead."

"Is that what this is about? You're pissed at me for not telling you the truth? God, Nathan, I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to get hurt. I know you don't get along with Dan but I didn't think you wanted to hear that he was the one who shot Keith."

"Whatever." Nathan turned and went back into the bathroom slamming the door in Brooke's face. She jumped as the impact of the door slamming shut vibrated her chest.

"Luke come deal with Nathan," Brooke said as she picked up the phone.

"Brooke what's wrong?" Lucas asked.

"He's being a jerk. I can't handle this right now. It's too much stress. Please just get out here. Before he does something stupid to himself or me. You're the only one he'll listen to."

"All right. I'll have my agent let team management know I need to take a few days off for a family emergency but I can't promise Nathan will listen to me."

"Thanks Luke. Call me so I know when you're gonna be here."

"Ok. Hang in there. I'm sure everything will be fine."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Brooke hung up the phone and went downstairs to get something to eat. She hadn't eaten much all day with the exception of lunch which she had basically eaten anything and everything she could get her hands on.

Lucas had booked himself a flight out to New Jersey and he was now getting his clothes packed so he could head over to the airport. Instead of leaving his car there, he was gonna have a teammate drive him to the airport and pick him up when he got back. It was times like these Lucas wished he had a girlfriend who could help him with these things but he didn't have time to think about that. Not only that but he didn't wanna go down a path that always led him to thoughts of Melissa. It was still too painful to think about and it had been a couple years now. Lucas was just zipping his bag shut when he heard the doorbell. He grabbed his bag and his keys before heading down the stairs to answer the door.

"Hey Scott, you ready to go?" Jared Ashley asked him.

"Ya. I really appreciate you doin' this for me man," Lucas replied.

"Not a problem bro."

The two walked down the driveway to Jared's Mustang. Lucas whistled at the car. Normally he didn't care much about cars anymore but this one imparticular was amazing.

"Nice wheels," Lucas complimented.

"Thanks. My pops bought it for me when I graduated high school," Jared replied.

"And it still looks this good? Damn I'm impressed."

"What can I say? I love my car."

Lucas laughed. He had never had a car like this and it would be a while before he had something more reliable then his current set of wheels. A beat up 1997 Honda Accord, it had been Keith's spare car and since Nathan had a car, Karen decided Lucas should have it. That was the only reason he was in no rush to buy a new car. This was a tangible link to his uncle.

"So what's up with your family man? You said you had a family emergency in Jersey," Jared asked as they rode to the airport.

"Ya my brother's fiancé called me, she's worried about him because our dad pulled some weird shit on him and I guess he's still letting it bother him. And with all the stress it's putting on him, he's taking it out on her and she lost it. Basically she wants me to play referee and take the stress off her. Which I'll gladly do because she doesn't need any stress right now, especially since she's pregnant with my nephews," Lucas explained.

"That's crazy. Do I even wanna ask what your dad did?"

"Probably not. But I'll tell you one thing, be glad you're not his son."

"I think I am and I've never met the dude."

"I hope you never have to."

"So he's not gonna come watch you play?"

"Probably not. Except if we're ever playing in Charlotte."

"Why Charlotte?"

"My hometown is only like two hours from there and unfortunately he still lives there."

"So don't tell him when we're in Charlotte."

"I know but I know him, he'll look it up online and make sure he's there just to piss me off."

"Damn. Now I'm really glad he's not my dad."

"His brother was always the better man."

"I take it he's dead?"

"Unfortunately."

"I'm sorry man."

"Ya me too. It's been 5 years now and it still hurts."

Jared nodded. The only death he had experienced in his life was his dog and he was only 8. There was no way he could know what it felt like to be in Lucas' shoes and lose an uncle. Although he imagined he might feel similar to the way Lucas seemed to feel if he did know that pain.

"All right man. I hope everything works out with your brother and his fiancé. See you in a couple days," Jared said as he pulled up to the curb at the airport to let Lucas out.

"Thanks Jared. See you in a couple days. Later man," Lucas replied. The two pounded fists before Lucas shut the door and walked into the airport.

The airport seemed to be full of families who were coming and going from vacations. Lucas walked through the airport quickly he wanted to get through security as fast as he could so he didn't have to worry about missing his flight or anything. Brooke had sounded beyond desperate when he talked to her and he wasn't gonna do anything to make getting there take longer. The only thing he wasn't gonna worry about was the flight. There wasn't a thing Lucas would be able to do to get him to New Jersey faster. As soon as he went through the security check point Lucas took out his cell phone to call Brooke.

"Hey it's me. I'm at the airport. The flight leaves in about an hour. So I'll be in Jersey by about 11:00 your time," Lucas said.

"Ok. I'll pick you up. Just call me when you're on the ground," Brooke replied.

"No problem. How's he doing?"

"I dunno. He won't talk to me now. He took a shower and then went downstairs to his weight room."

"Did you try going down there to talk to him?"

"Yes. But he's got the door locked and the stereo blasting. I'm surprised the neighbors haven't complained yet. I had to come all the way upstairs to watch tv because it was giving me a headache. I can't live like this all the time Luke."

"I know you can't. And you won't have to. Nathan will be ok, he just needs to get his anger out of his system, hopefully I can help. But like I said, no promises."

"Right. No promises. I just don't want him to hurt himself. Lucas, he's my everything. If something happens I'm pretty sure it'll crush beyond words. More than Haley's leaving crushed me."

"Brooke, it'll be all right. I'll talk to him. You just take it easy. No stress remember?"

"I remember. But it's so hard not to worry about him and worrying stresses me out."

Lucas knew that too well. The more Brooke worried about something the higher her stress level got. And right now, that was the worst possible thing for her considering her condition.

"Just try and stay calm. For the twins. They need you to stay calm," Lucas said gently.

"I'm trying. I don't wanna do anything to hurt the boys. If something were to happen to them because I'm getting stressed out I'd never forgive myself and I'm sure Nathan would be crushed too. Oh god, Luke, what if I already hurt them?" Brooke replied.

"Hey don't panic. I'm sure they're fine. After all, they are Scotts."

"They better not be arrogant like their uncle."

"Hey! I'm not arrogant. You're fiancé is the arrogant one."

"No he's not. Nathan is sweet."

"Oh please." Lucas was trying to resist the urge to make gagging noises. If Brooke had been in a better mood he would have done it but he was trying to be mindful of her current frame of mind and he didn't think it would go over well.

"You're sweet too."

"That's better."

Brooke laughed. She should have known Lucas was just fishing for a compliment. It was typical Lucas when they got into a conversation about which Scott was better, him or Nathan. They talked for a while longer before Lucas hung up to board the plane. Brooke reminded him to call her when he landed in New Jersey and he told her not to worry and he would call her in about six hours. As soon as Lucas was on the plane he found a seat toward the back and put his bag under the seat in front of him and settled in. Flying wasn't something he liked doing very often but it was a good way to get a nap so he wasn't gonna complain. Lucas fell asleep before the plane taxied off the runway.


	18. That's What Brothers Are For

"Hey I'm here," Lucas said as he woke up in the plane and realized they were on the ground.

"Ok I'm outside circling the terminal so I'll keep circling til I see you," Brooke said as she was driving.

"Ok see you in a bit."

Lucas closed his phone and rose to his feet. It was good to be on the ground again. He walked off the plane and followed the signs directing him out of the airport so he could get to Brooke's car and go to the house. As soon as Lucas stepped outside he spotted Brooke driving toward him.

"Perfect timing," he said to himself as she spotted him and pulled over.

"Hey Luke," she greeted him.

"Hey. How are you?" he replied looking at her.

"I've been better. How are you?"

"Much better now that I'm on the ground."

"Ya I know the feeling."

"Does Nate know I'm here?"

"Ya I told him."

"Did he freak out at you?"

"Nope. He just said ok."

"Did you tell him why I'm here?"

"Yup. And he still just said ok. I think he was only half hearing me. Or he wasn't listening at all and I think he knows you're here but maybe he doesn't and he's gonna freak out when you walk in the house with me."

"Brooke I doubt that's gonna happen."

"You're probably right. I'm just paranoid."

"No kidding."

"Shut up!"

"Sorry."

Brooke and Lucas sat in a comfortable silence the rest of the way to the house. Lucas wasn't sure what to say and Brooke didn't feel like talking anymore. She just wanted to go home and go to bed. It had been a long day for her and she wanted to end the madness.

"Here we are. Home sweet home," she said when she pulled into the driveway.

"Oh good. Do you think Nate's still up?" Lucas asked.

"Probably. But I'm going to bed as soon as we get inside."

"Sounds good. I'll talk to Nate if he's up otherwise I'll probably crash for the night too."

They walked in the house to find Nathan sitting in his recliner staring at the tv which was off. Brooke looked at Lucas nervously, he just squeezed her shoulder reassuringly and nudged her toward the stairs remembering what she had said about going to bed.

"Night Lucas," she said.

"Night Brooke," he replied.

"Night Nate," she tried.

"Night," Nathan replied dully.

Brooke shrugged her shoulders as she continued up the stairs. Lucas was here now. He would get Nathan to talk to him and then she would talk to Nathan and things would be better. In the meantime the only thing on Brooke's mind was getting some sleep. She shut the bedroom door and changed quickly before climbing into bed. She was asleep almost immediately. Meanwhile downstairs Lucas was sitting on the couch staring at Nathan as he tried to figure out what to say.

"Nathan what's going on man?" he asked cautiously.

"Nothing Luke I'm fine. Brooke didn't need to drag you out here," Nathan lied.

"You're lying to me. Tell me what's up."

"Why? It's not gonna change anything."

"Nathan what happened?"

Nathan sighed dramatically. He really didn't wanna talk about it but judging by the persistence in Lucas' tone he didn't have a choice.

"Brooke told me something about Keith's death. And I went off on her."

"What did she say?"

"She said she saw Dan shoot Keith. When I asked her why she didn't tell me for 5 years she said she didn't want me to be hurt."

"You flipped out because of that? Nathan that's ridiculous. You know just as much as I do Dan was always jealous of Keith because everyone seemed to like him better. Including his sons."

"So you're saying that makes what Dan did ok?"

"No! Of course not. But you screamed at Brooke over it! Brooke, the woman you're in love with. She didn't do anything to Keith. Nate, look, I wish Brooke would have said something sooner but the reality is she didn't. Just be thankful she finally told you."

"Luke we're not talking about some petty high school secret she kept for five years here. We're talking about the fact that she hid the truth about who shot Keith from both of us and you're being totally calm about it. What is wrong with you? Did you ever even love Keith?"

"Are you kidding? What kind of question is that! You know I love him. His death didn't change that."

"Sorry man. I'm just pissed about all this shit Dan pulled and then the truth about this on top of everything else isn't helping."

"Take it easy on Brooke will you? She's not the enemy."

"I know I was such an asshole Luke. And I swear I was so close to hitting her just because I was so frustrated."

"You better not hit her. I don't care how pissed you are. Hitting Brooke is beyond inexcusable and you know it."

"I know. I didn't do it though because if I had I would never be able to forgive myself."

"What did you do instead?"

"I slammed the bathroom door in her face."

"How kind."

"Hey it's better than hitting her. Somehow."

"Look, I know you're pissed but taking it out on Brooke isn't right."

"I know that! Could you please stop reminding me? I screwed up, I yelled at my fiancé and I'm sure I scared the shit out of her. I don't need a reminder from my brother about it. I know I was an asshole. And to top it off, before I even got home I was so pissed that when Jake and I were lifting weights I almost destroyed my knee and he basically had to throw me out and force me to come home."

"Sounds like Nathan Scott, world class asshole made a triumphant return today."

"Yes he did. And I gotta say, I didn't enjoy it one bit."

"Do you have any practices or anything tomorrow?"

"Nope. I was gonna stay here and spend the day with Brooke but I guess since you're here I have to hang out with you too."

"Aw gee thanks little brother. Is it really so bad to have me around?"

"No, I guess not. Someone has to kick my ass back to reality when Brooke doesn't succeed."

"Damn right. And I'm happy to help her out."

"Thanks Luke. For being there for her and talking to me, I didn't know how much I needed it til just now."

"You're welcome. Now can we please get some sleep and get rid of that monster of an attitude you had hanging over you?"

"Gladly."

They pounded their fists before going upstairs to go to sleep. Lucas walked one way once they got upstairs and Nathan went the other way toward their bedroom. He walked in and saw that Brooke was already sound asleep. Watching her, he realized he had truly been an asshole to her and she didn't deserve it. He changed out of his clothes and stripped down to his boxers before pulling the covers back and climbing into bed next to Brooke.

"I'm sorry baby, I love you," he whispered in her ear as he draped his arm protectively letting it rest on her stomach and fell asleep.

Brooke stirred slightly at the sound of Nathan's voice. She turned to face him and smiled when she realized he was still awake.

"I love you too," she whispered before kissing him softly.

"Baby, I didn't mean what I said today. I love you and you were right. You were just doing what you thought was better for me. I'm so sorry I was such an asshole today," Nathan apologized.

"Shh, it's all right. I know you didn't mean it. That's not why I called Luke. I called Luke because I was worried about you. Nathan you haven't been yourself in days and it scared me. I needed to know that someone could shake you out of your funk since I didn't seem to be getting the job done."

"Thank you for calling Luke."

"You're welcome." Brooke turned to face the wall again as she tried to go back to sleep.

"Brooke?" Nathan whispered.

"Hmm?" she replied.

"Let's name our other son after Keith."

Brooke turned back around to face Nathan. That wasn't what she thought he was going to say.

"What?"

"I think we should name the other twin after Keith. He was important to both of us and I know he would be honored to know we had a son that bears his name."

"Sure honey, let's talk about it in the morning."

"Ok." Nathan kissed the back of Brooke's neck and pulled her into his chest and that's how the two fell asleep. The next morning they woke up to the smell of breakfast being cooked.

"Morning, babe," Nathan said as he smiled at Brooke who was looking at him.

"Morning," Brooke replied.

"Do you think we should go down there and make sure Luke doesn't destroy the kitchen or worse?"

"I think Luke's ok in the kitchen but we should go down there. It's smells real good and I'm staving."

"Are you starving or are the boys starving?"

"All three."

"Ah ok. Let's go."

Brooke took Nathan's hand and the two of them walked the stairs and found Lucas in front of the stove making bacon and egg omelettes for breakfast.

"Luke this smells great. Please tell me you made coffee," Brooke said.

"Of course. Do I look like an idiot to you?" Lucas replied with a grin.

"Well…" Nathan started.

"I wasn't asking you little brother."

The three of them started laughing. It was nice to be together again. Lucas missed being around his brother and best friend now that he was out in Colorado. A few minutes later he dished out the food and poured coffee for everybody and they sat down and ate in a comfortable silence.

"What are you boys doing today?" Brooke asked.

"Hanging out with you," Nathan replied.

"Ya me too," Lucas said.

"You may have to wait a while. I have to go to work this morning. There's a staff meeting and I need to finish writing my piece from the interview I did with Jake the other day."

"Aw Brooke can't you do that tomorrow?" Nathan whined.

"Babe I wish I could but Dave wants the interview for tomorrow's edition of the paper."

"Ok but you better tell Dave that you're all mine for the rest of the day and tomorrow and I'm not sharing. Except with Luke."

"I'll be sure to do that. He's gonna love this one."

"Hey you're pregnant, he can't overwork you."

"He doesn't. And I was kidding. Dave's a good guy. He'll totally understand and besides I can always work on other stuff at night and email it to him when it's done. Except for my interview with Jake so don't get any ideas."

Nathan frowned. He should have known she would stop him in his tracks before he could open his mouth. She had done it plenty of times in the past. Lucas was glad to see that Nathan was returning to normal.

"All right boys, enjoy your Brookeless morning. I need to go shower and get dressed so I can head out. I should be back around 2:00. Behave and try not to break anything," Brooke said as she stood up and kissed both Nathan and Lucas.

"Yes ma'am," they said with identical smirks.

"Bite me."

"Oh I will," Nathan said with a grin.

"Nathan!"

"What?"

Brooke shoved her finger in Lucas' direction. Nathan looked at him and shrugged. It didn't matter to him if Lucas heard them talking to each other like that. Lucas could handle it and if he couldn't that wasn't Nathan's problem. As soon as Brooke had gone up the stairs Nathan and Lucas started clearing the dishes and putting them in the dishwasher.

"What are we gonna do til Brooke gets back?" Lucas asked when the table was cleared.

"I dunno. Whatever. We could go down to the weight room and workout, watch a movie, play video games. I don't care. I want to enjoy my day," Nathan replied.

"Ok."

They decided to go downstairs and workout for a while since neither of them were practicing with their teams.

"Bye boys!" Brooke yelled as she left the house.

"Do you ever think she'll stop calling us boys?" Lucas laughed.

"Don't think so. She likes that word lately. But maybe she'll stop after the twins are born so she doesn't confuse herself," Nathan replied.

Lucas nodded and they went back to working out. The only sounds that could be heard in the weight room was Nathan's stereo, the clanging of the weights and the grunting from both Nathan and Lucas as they pushed themselves. They were down there for about two hours when Nathan suggested a game of NBA Live. Lucas agreed and they went into the video game room and set up the PlayStation. In the end Lucas beat Nathan.

"You cheated," Nathan insisted.

"Not so much. Face it little brother. I kicked your ass," Lucas laughed.

Nathan sat on the couch with his arms crossed and lips pouting. Lucas looked at him and he couldn't help the laughter that escaped from his lips.

"Rematch," Nathan demanded.

"Ok," Lucas said.

They played again and this time Nathan won. He smiled happily deciding that maybe Lucas didn't cheat the first time but he hadn't played his best.

"Whatever Nate. You just can't admit you lost," Lucas laughed again.

"Sure I can. But it's not really a loss when I went easy on you," Nathan countered.

"Oh sure. You went easy on me? That'll be the day."

"What you don't think I'm capable of that sort of thing?"

"Not at all. I know you Nathan you're competitive in all things basketball. Including video games. There is no way you "went easy" on me. I beat you, get over it."

"Okay, okay. So you beat me? Big deal."

"Now he gets it."

"Shut up." Nathan shoved Lucas sideways pretending to knock him over.

"What are we 6 again?"

"Sure why not?"

"Hey what's Jaglieski up to?" Lucas asked.

"I dunno," Nathan answered.

"Well let's call him and see if he wants to chill with us."

"Sounds good to me."

Nathan grabbed his phone to call Jake. Ten minutes he was off the phone and they were waiting for Jake to come over. Nathan and Luke were walking up the stairs from the basement when the doorbell rang.

"Hey man, come on in," Nathan said as he opened the door.

"Well if it isn't the Scott brothers. Lucas how are ya man?" Jake said as he stepped into the house.

"I'm doing good. You taking good care of my daughter I hope?" Lucas replied.

"Absolutely. She gets along great with Jenny. But I think she's having a problem with me. It's ok though, don't worry about it. Hales and I are working through it with her."

"Good."

"So, I was thinking we could go shoot some hoops at the courts up the road," Nathan suggested.

"Nathan doesn't take a day off even when it's given to him," Jake laughed.

"I don't think he ever has," Lucas added.

"You'll thank me someday," Nathan said confidently as he scribbled a note to Brooke in case she got back before they did.

"Brooke, this article is missing something. It's too formal. Where's the spunk you had in your last piece?" Dave asked.

"What do you mean it's too formal? Dave I thought you didn't want articles that made the sports pages less important than the world news or financial section. You said you thought that last piece was too spunky and to get rid of spunk and go back to professional," Brooke replied.

She had been talking to her editor for the last hour and it seemed like she wasn't getting anywhere. All Dave seemed to be doing was criticizing her and then twisting his words around and constantly changing his mind. Brooke was getting pissed, she didn't know how much longer she would be able to put up with him or it.

"I didn't tell you to lose all of your spunk. I just don't want the entire piece to seem spunky. You're a journalist, you can make spunk and professional mix. Do it or you won't another thing for this paper."

"Have it your way. I'll fix it up but this is the last time. If you think you can intimidate me you're dead wrong. Arrogant little shits like you don't phase me at all. You think you're a hot shot because you're the senior sports editor. Well let me tell you something Dave, you're not. If you were such hot stuff in journalism you'd be the senior sports editor for some big city paper. Not a small town paper in New Jersey."

Dave looked Brooke straight in the eye and laughed. He couldn't believe some southern small town girl thought she would get away with talking to him like that. There had been others to try it before Brooke and none of them lasted very long with the newspaper. If things kept going the way they were with Brooke he was sure that she would be another member of the so called club.

"I know you think I'm just some southern small town bimbo but you've got it all wrong. This southern girl is just as smart as the northeast bimbos and possibly smarter. If you wanna fire me because I thought I was doing what you asked of me, that's just fine but don't think for a second you can intimidate me enough to make me quit. That'll never work. I've never been a quitter, and I always get what I want," Brooke continued.

Dave sat in his chair silently. This girl was different from all the rest. With all the girls he had working for him before Brooke came along, they left with the first sign of confrontation. Brooke stood up to Dave and put him in his place. That wasn't something he was accustomed to. Nobody ever did that to him in his life, he was always the one leaving people speechless.

"Nobody talks to me like that," he seethed.

"Really? Cause I believe I just did. Now it's your choice. You can fire me and be down a reporter again or drop the act and keep me around. So, what's it gonna be?" Brooke replied grinning at Dave.

"You can stay. For now."

"What is that like some kind of threat? Grow up Dave. This isn't high school."

Brooke didn't wait for Dave to respond. She ripped her article out of his hands and stormed out of his office. Instead of sitting down to work on "fixing" the piece, she put it in her bag and grabbed her keys. If Dave was in a mood, Brooke didn't want to be around him anymore for the day.

"I'm leaving," she said as she passed his open door.

"Where's my article?" he shot back.

"You'll get it later."

Again Brooke didn't bother waiting for his answer. She walked outside and was glad that the sun was out. She didn't want to be in a crappy mood with crappy weather because then she'd be crabby all day long. Now she stood a chance of shaking the lousy mood. Smiling to herself, Brooke got in her car and turned up the stereo for the drive home. Just as she was coming down their street, Brooke spotted Jake's car in their driveway. She wondered if that meant the boys were out.

"So much for hanging out with me today," she laughed. Turning off the engine Brooke got out of the car and walked into the house. There was a note for her in the kitchen from Nathan.

"Babe, went to shoot some hoops with Jake and Lucas. Call me after you eat something. Love-Nathan". Brooke balled up the note and threw it in the garbage. She didn't realize how hungry she was until now so she rummaged through the fridge for something to eat. Five minutes later Brooke was sitting down to a bowl of Fruit Loops and a glass of Pepsi.

"Now this is what I call lunch," Brooke laughed to herself.

"Babe, it's me. I saw your note and I just finished eating. When are you coming back?" Brooke said after she called Nathan.

"We're just gonna finish this game and head back. Jake's gotta go pick up Bella and Jenny at school soon. See you in a little while," Nathan replied.

"Ok. I love you."

"I love you too."

Brooke hung up and smiled. She still had alone time but no idea what to do with herself. Then an idea came to her. She went upstairs and locked herself in her office. Now was as good a time as any to work on the design for the babies' room. She was still up there working furiously when Nathan and Lucas came back.

"Brooke!" Nathan yelled as they walked through the front door.

"Maybe she's not here," Lucas said.

"She's here. In fact I have a good idea where too."

Nathan took off up the stairs with Lucas right behind him. He wasn't surprised when he found Brooke's office door closed. Carefully he turned the knob but the door didn't open.

"Why does she lock the door?" Lucas asked.

"To keep me out of there when she's busy," Nathan replied as he knocked on the door.

Brooke was shaken from her thoughts by the knocking on the door. Carefully she stood up to unlock the door. When she did she found Nathan and Lucas standing on the other side.

"Hey beautiful," Nathan said as he kissed her.

"Hey," Brooke replied and kissed him back.

"Hey Brooke. How's it going?" Lucas said.

"Pretty good."

"Whatcha working on honey?" Nathan asked.

"Design for the boys' room."

Brooke grabbed the sheets of paper to show Nathan and Lucas. One was designed like a basketball court with the Nets colors and the other one was like Sesame Street. Of the two, Brooke's favorite was the basketball court.

"These look great babe," Nathan said.

"Thanks honey," Brooke said.

"What do you think Luke?" Nathan asked.

"Brooke these are amazing," Lucas said.

"Please don't be so dramatic," Brooke laughed.

"I'm serious."

Brooke blushed furiously. She was glad that Nathan seemed to like her designs and it made her happy that Lucas did too.

"Ok what are we doing today?" Brooke asked the boys.

"Whatever you want," they answered together.

"Goody! Let's go shopping. And this time we can buy clothes."

Brooke looked directly at Nathan. She knew he had been dying to buy baby clothes and now they finally could because they knew the sex of the babies.

"We're gonna need more diapers and other stuff too. When we got that stuff we didn't know that you're actually pregnant with twins," Nathan said.

"Oh ya. That's true. Luke is this ok with you?"

"Of course. As long as I get to spend time with you guys I'm good," Lucas answered. Truthfully he couldn't wait. This would be a good opportunity to get operation spoil the nephews going.

"Great let's go before I change my mind and decide to sit on the couch all day," Brooke said enthusiastically.

Nathan and Lucas looked at Brooke and then at each other and burst into laughter. Neither of them believed she was capable of changing her mind about shopping. It was her favorite thing to do and it always had been.

"Ok so I'm not gonna change my mind but let's go," Brooke said knowing what they were laughing at.

The three of them walked down the stairs and out to Nathan's Touareg because it would be more comfortable for the three of them. Brooke turned the radio up real loud and sang to every song that was played. Nathan and Lucas were relatively quiet. Not by choice really but because it was impossible to talk over the radio and Brooke. Nathan tried turning it down once only to get his hand slapped.

Brooke felt like she was on top of the world. She had the best fiancé in the world and her best friend was back. And then there was Lucas, he never seemed to go anywhere. He was always there when she needed him.

"Thanks Luke," she mouthed to him in the mirror.

"That's what brothers are for," he answered.


	19. The Fall of the Man

Dan was sitting in his office at the dealership. He knew he couldn't let Brooke get away with telling Nathan the truth about Keith's death. Pregnant or not Dan was intending to make her pain. All he had left to do was formulate a plan and make sure to carry it out. He sat there grinning devilishly. There was one way to get to her—journalism. Dan could sabotage her career before she really has a chance to make a name for herself. And that was exactly what he planned to do.

"Damn it. How could she tell Nathan what I did to Keith? That jerk deserved what he got," Dan muttered to himself.

He was completely floored that Brooke would do such a thing. She had always seemed like a nice girl to him. But no more. Dan didn't care how nice she might have been, Brooke had crossed the wrong guy and he was gonna make sure she paid dearly.

"Jodie! Get me the number for my future daughter in law's editor. I need to have a chat with him," Dan yelled to his secretary.

"Mr. Scott I can't do that," Jodie protested.

"Why not my dear?"

"I'm not gonna help you destroy Brooke's journalism career. Sorry. You picked the wrong chick to mess with."

Dan balked at Jodie's open refusal. Nobody had ever said no to him before. He was used to being in total control. The world was his stage and all the people in it were Dan's puppets. And now, someone was openly refusing to do what he told her to do. Dan slammed his fist on the desk.

"You will do as I asked or join the other losers in line at the unemployment office," he seethed.

"Well then I guess I'll be out of here," Jodie answered without even flinching.

Dan was shocked. Who did this woman think she was? He wasn't letting her just walk out of this building. He couldn't. That would destroy his reputation.

"The only place you're going is back to your desk and picking up that phone."

"Like hell. Thanks but no. I've met Brooke and I think she's a sweet girl. I won't help you destroy her life. If your so hell bent on destroying her life you'll have to do it alone because you won't get any help from me. Oh and while you're off destroying that poor girl's life you may want to find yourself a new secretary."

"I swear if you walk out that door I'll"

"You'll what? Are you gonna shoot me too just like you shot your brother four years ago?"

"How did you?"

"That's right. I know what you did. You pick up that phone and get the number and you better kiss your life as a free man good bye."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Watch me."

Jodie turned on her heels and flipped open her cell phone. It was time for someone to bring down the giant. He had gotten away with killing his brother for way too long.

"Tree Hill PD, Lt. Ashley speaking. What can I do for you?" Jodie heard the officer ask.

"I have some new information on the death of Keith Scott," Jodie replied as she turned around to smile wickedly at Dan who was glaring at her.

"Go ahead."

"He wasn't shot by the perp in the school shooting. He was shot by someone else."

"Who was it ma'am?"

"Dan Scott."

"Are you positive?"

"Yes sir. I was his secretary at Dan Scott Motors as of five minutes ago and I overheard him on the phone saying that he was the one who shot Keith and how he got what was coming to him."

"Thank you for your help. I'll be sure this gets taken care of immediately."

"You're welcome."

Jodie closed her phone and turned back around to face Dan.

"You bitch!" he hollered.

"Enjoy life in prison Danny," she laughed before turning back around to leave Dan Scott Motors for the last time.

Dan watched in disbelief as Jodie's words rang in his ears. Could this really be happening to him? Would they take her word and lock him up? No they couldn't possibly. There's no evidence to prove what she told them as being true. That's when Dan remembered. Brooke looked up at the exact moment he pointed the gun at Keith and pulled the trigger. If the police got a hold of her, she would come to Tree Hill to testify against him in court. There was no getting around that.

"Shit!" he hollered.

"Hey Captain!" Lt. Ashley shouted as he got off the phone.

"What's up Lt?" Capt. Jordan asked.

"Keith Scott wasn't killed by the shooter at the high school four years ago."

"What are you talking about? How do you know?"

"I just got off the phone with a woman who worked as Dan Scott's secretary at the dealership. She said she heard him openly talking about the fact that Keith got what was coming to him and that he's the one who shot Keith."

"Son of a bitch. Ok Lt., let's go bring him in."

Lt. Ashley and Capt. Jordan walked out of the building and jumped into a squad car. They sped off toward the dealership to arrest Dan. Neither of them could believe the latest development. It never seemed to make sense to anyone that Keith had been shot by the shooter because the MO of the shot didn't match the definite victims of the shooter. Not even five minutes later, Lt. Ashley slammed the squad car into park as the captain and himself jumped out and ran into the dealership.

"Hello, officers, what can I do for you?" Jason, one of the sales associations, asked as they slowed down to a walk.

"We're looking for Mr. Scott. Is he here?" Capt. Jordan answered.

"He's in his office. I can go get him if you want."

"No, thanks for your help Jason. Have a good day," Lt. Ashley said as the two cops sped past him to find Dan.

When they reached his office the door was open and Dan was at his desk working on something. Lt. Ashley cleared his throat and Dan looked up with surprise.

"What can I do for you boys?" he asked as he plastered a grin on his face.

"Daniel Scott, you're under arrest for the murder of Keith Scott," Capt. Jordan informed him as he lifted Dan to his feet and cuffed him.

"You have the right to remain silent. If you give up that right, anything you say, can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have a right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be provided for you," Lt. Ashley said while Capt. Jordan held his grip tight on Dan's arm as they escorted him out to the squad car.

Jason was speechless as he watched the cops take Dan past him in handcuffs. He knew his boss could be a sneak and a liar but he didn't know how bad Dan truly was. The other sales associates stopped what they were doing as Dan was escorted past each of them. They all had similar reactions to Jason. Nobody believed Dan was as dirty as some people tried to tell them. He paid them well and recognized them for their dedication and hard work to the company every chance he got. They thought he was a good guy despite the rumblings they heard.

"Wow, maybe we should have listened to Nathan and Lucas," one associate, Joe, whispered.

"No. What do they know? Nathan's a spoiled brat and Lucas is the bastard kid. We were right not to listen to them. Dan will get out of this. Whatever it is," another associate, Jack, said.

"You're all idiots. Dan's not getting out of this one. He killed his brother. Maybe you shouldn't have listened to everything Luke and Nate said but you could have listened to some of it. Or maybe even Keith, when he was alive, and Karen as well. Hell even his ex-wife, Deb, warned you about him," yet another associate, Damien, spoke up.

"Well if Dan's such a bad guy and you know why are you still working here?" Jack asked.

"Because I need a steady income to provide for my two year old daughter."

"Well if you hadn't left her mother for that bitch you're with now maybe you wouldn't have that problem."

"Fuck off."

"Guys, chill!" Joe hollered.

Damien and Jack stopped and stared at Joe. It was the first time he had ever raised his voice. Had it been anyone else they wouldn't have reacted but Joe was known as the quiet one.

"What the heck is wrong with you two? Our boss was just escorted out of here in cuffs and you're fighting about why the other one works here? Get a life."

Andy James, the vice president of the dealership, walked out of his office a minute later. He had been on the phone with Dan's lawyer when the commotion started.

"What the hell is going on out here?" he asked looking around at the sales associates who all seemed to be standing around doing nothing.

"Nothing Andy," Jason said.

"I can see that. Dan's gone but I'm not. Get your asses back to work now. Or I'll have the accounting department adjust your pay rate for the day."

"You can't do that," Joe protested.

"Oh ya? Don't push it Carter," Andy challenged.

"He's like a miniature Dan," Jack muttered to himself as he walked away.

"What was that Jack?" Andy called after him.

"Nothing."

"Bull. I wanna see you in my office before you leave."

Jack didn't even bother acknowledging Andy. He didn't care what Andy wanted. This wasn't his company, he was only second in command. Dan was the only one who made personnel decisions.

"Lt., I told you already. I didn't shoot Keith," Dan said again.

"Ok let's go over this one more time. Where were you the exact time of the shooting?" Lt. Ashley asked.

"I was in a meeting at the dealership."

"And you have people to back you up in this statement?"

"My sons. Lucas and Nathan. As well as my co-workers."

"Here, write down their names and numbers."

"What for? Don't you believe me?"

"Dan just do it," his lawyer said, clearly annoyed.

Dan shrugged his shoulders and wrote down the names and numbers. With one notable exception. Lucas.

"Dan why didn't you write a number down for Lucas?" Capt. Jordan asked suspiciously.

"I don't have his number anymore," Dan replied.

"He got a new phone?"

"Probably. He moved out to Colorado since he was drafted by the Nuggets."

"Oh right. Well perhaps we can get the number from Karen."

Dan nodded.

"Ashley, take Dan up to booking. I'm gonna go pay Karen a visit," Capt. Jordan instructed.

"You can't keep him here! There's no proof he's done anything wrong," Dan's lawyer protested.

"You're wrong Cassel. We can keep him while we're investigating his alibi," Lt. Ashley said as he brought Dan to his feet to take him out of the interrogation room and upstairs for booking.

Brian Cassel watched as his client was escorted out of the room and up the stairs. He had a defeated look in his eyes, something wasn't right. It was his job to defend Dan against the murder charge but his gut feeling told him that Dan was guilty. He couldn't defend Dan with that feeling. Walking out of the building Brian decided to take himself off the case. It was far too personal. Keith was a friend of Brian's and everyone in town would look at him strange if he defended Dan for the death of Keith.

Capt. Jordan pulled the cruiser up to the curb in front of Karen's Café. It wasn't too busy and he could see Karen standing behind the counter resting her chin in her hands watching Jason. He seemed to be telling Karen a story of some kind because his arms were flailing uncontrollably and Karen seemed to have a look of interest on her. Capt. Jordan walked in and the bells on the door jingled. Karen and Jason both turned to see who had come in. The little boy smiled and ran over to give the captain a hug.

"Capt, what can I do for you today?" Karen asked politely.

"Actually, Karen. I was wondering if I could get Lucas' new cell phone number from you," Capt. Jordan replied.

"Yes of course. Can I ask what for?"

"Hey Jace, can you stay out here for a minute? I need to talk to your mommy about something important."

"Okay Capt," Jason replied as he ran to the booth where he had been sitting.

Karen lead Capt. Jordan to the back of the café. She was getting nervous. It had to be something serious if he couldn't say it in front of Jason.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"We got a call today from Dan's former secretary at the dealership. She told Lt. Ashley that he was on the phone today and openly admitted to shooting Keith. So after the phone call Lt and I went down to the dealership to arrest him. He says he didn't do it and was in a meeting at the time of the shooting at the high school. When we asked about people that could vouch for him and he said Nathan and Lucas knew about the meeting," Capt. Jordan replied.

"Oh my god. You're kidding right? Dan actually said he killed his brother? That monster killed my husband and left my little boy without a father?" Karen was livid.

"Well we can't say for sure yet. I do need Lucas' number though so we can check out this alibi."

"Right of course."

Karen jotted down the number on a napkin and handed it to the captain. He thanked her and they went back into the café. Jason was talking to Skills who had just come in after practicing with the Bobcats.

"Mommy, look! Skills buyed me a hat!" Jason said excitedly.

"It looks good on you. I bet you'll be the only kid in Tree Hill to have a bunch of hats from all over the NBA," Capt. Jordan laughed.

"Skills, how are you?" Karen greeted her son's friend warmly.

"I'm doing great. How are you?" Skills replied.

"I can't complain. Although I do miss having my two best waitresses."

Skills laughed. He knew how much Karen loved having Brooke and Haley around. They did some amazing work in the café. It was never quite the same since they had both left. Sometimes Skills felt like he was the only one who was gonna stay true to his roots and never leave Tree Hill. Not that he blamed Nathan and Lucas. Dan was an intense guy and if Skills had been in their shoes he'd probably leave too.

"Karen, thanks again. I'll be in touch," Capt. Jordan said as he waved his hand and left the café.

"You're welcome," Karen said then turned her attention back to Skills, "so what can I get you?"

"The usual," Skills answered as he slid into the booth opposite from Jason.

"Skills can we go to Daddy's garage today?" Jason asked him.

"I dunno bud. You'll have to your mom."

"Ok." Jason went back to his coloring. He wanted to go to the garage and say hi to some of the guys. Nobody had taken him since Lucas had left town. Karen was always working or tired and when she wasn't she didn't feel like she was strong enough to go to the garage. It hurt too much to know that Keith was gone. But like she had told Brooke, she wanted to keep the garage running so Jason could take over when he was older.

"Here you go," Karen said as she placed a dish in front of Skills.

"Thanks Karen," Skills said.

"Mommy, can Skills take me to the garage later?" Jason asked before she could walk away.

"I don't know Jason," Karen sighed.

"Pwease Mommy? I be good."

"Skills is that all right with you?"

"Sure, it's no problem. I'd be happy to get him out of here for a little while," Skills said.

"Ok, you let me know if Jason gets out of line."

"I will."

"YAY!" Jason squealed. Finally someone was gonna take him to the garage. His garage. Well, that's what Karen and Lucas called it. Jason knew the truth though. It was his daddy's garage but he loved to go there anyway.

"Babe who was on the phone?" Brooke asked as Nathan walked into the kitchen.

"Lt. Ashley in Tree Hill. They arrested Dan for shooting Keith. He was checking Dan's alibi about some meeting that according to Lt. Ashley, Dan says I knew about," Nathan replied.

"They arrested Dan? How did they find out?"

"I dunno. But I hope he gets what's coming to him. Especially since you say you saw him do it."

"I did. It was awful."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure anything."

"If you saw Dan shoot Keith why didn't you say anything til now?"

"I dunno. I guess I was afraid of what Dan would do to me if I went to the cops. Then I left for school and time kept passing. You're not mad at me are you?"

"A little bit. But it's ok. I understand being afraid of Dan. Nobody knows what he's capable of when he's angry."

"I'm sorry I kept it from you for so long."

"It's ok. Don't worry about it. The truth will come out and the people of Tree Hill, if they know what's good for them, will find Dan guilty and see to it that he gets locked up for good."

"Or maybe they'll go for the death penalty?"

"I doubt it. They'd rather watch the bastard suffer and have to spend the rest of his life in prison. I know I would."

Brooke smiled. As horrible as it sounded, she knew Nathan was serious. He would love to watch Dan squirm knowing that someone had finally brought the monster to his knees. Just then Lucas walked into the room. He looked puzzled.

"Did you just talk to Lt. Ashley a few minutes?" he asked Nathan.

"Yup. Did he call you too?" Nathan replied.

"Ya. They arrested Dan for the death of Keith."

"I know." Nathan couldn't help the smile he felt spreading across his face.

"Finally someone stood up to him. It's about damn time."

"Don't I know it man. Too bad Keith didn't get to witness this moment. He'd love it."

Lucas and Brooke nodded in agreement. They all knew Keith hated all the crap Dan pulled with people. And even more than that, Keith hated the way Dan treated his family. Especially Nathan and Lucas.

Nathan decided they should celebrate. He grabbed his keys and went to the store. Twenty minutes later he came back with a bottle of wine. Brooke raised her eyebrow at him and he just shrugged.

"Babe I thought we were gonna be totally sober til the twins are born?" she asked with a grin.

"That was before," Nathan answered as he popped the bottle open and poured wine into three glasses. He handed one to Brooke and one to Lucas.

"To justice," Nathan said as he raised his glasses.

"To justice," Brooke and Lucas echoed as they raised their glasses.


	20. Planning a Wedding

Two days later, Nathan and Brooke were taking Lucas to the airport. It was time for him to head back to Colorado.

"Thanks for coming out here bro," Nathan said as they slapped hands and pulled each other into a hug.

"You're welcome. But don't make a habit of these things," Lucas said.

"I agree," Brooke chimed in causing both guys to laugh.

"Take it easy Brooke. Don't forget to call if you need anything else," Lucas told her as he enveloped her into a hug.

"I won't. Thanks again for giving me my fiancé back," she said.

"No problem."

He kissed her on the cheek before picking up his bag and walking into the airport. Nathan and Brooke gave one last wave as they turned to get back into the SUV and drive back to the house. It was nice to have Lucas around for a couple days but it would be nice to go back to their normal, just the two of them, lives.

"Babe did I thank you for calling Lucas?" Nathan asked as they pulled onto the main road away from the airport.

"I don't think so," Brooke answered.

"Either way, thanks so much. I know it was hard for you to watch helplessly as I went through my breakdown. I really couldn't have come out of that funk without you and Lucas there to help me out."

"You're welcome. You know I would do anything for you."

"I know and I'll do anything for you. Speaking of which, open the glove box."

Brooke opened the glove box and pulled out a velvet jewelry box. She popped it open and gasped when she saw what was inside it. Nathan bought her a white gold tennis bracelet with diamonds in it.

"Flip it over," he told her.

She flipped it over and saw the engraving on the back. It said "thank you for loving me". Tears pricked at her eyes as she ran her fingers over each word carefully. Nathan never failed to surprise her.

"Nathan, it's gorgeous," she gushed.

"Do you like it?"

"I love it. Thank you sweetie."

"Anything for my baby."

"You're amazing. Do you know that?"

Nathan smiled at her. He was glad she loved the bracelet. Normally he wasn't the kind of guy to go out and buy jewelry to say thank you or I love you to the woman he loved but he felt that it was ok this time. It wasn't just a bracelet, it was a thank you from Nathan to Brooke for loving him.

Brooke sat in silence toying with the new bracelet. She really did love Nathan and she thought he was the most amazing man in the world. Her heart leapt when she thought about him and she couldn't remember a time when she had been nearly as happy. Nathan was her world. As she thought about the engraving on the back of the bracelet, Brooke started thinking about ideas for a wedding song. It had to be something perfect and romantic. Something that told Nathan how much she loved him and how thankful she was to have him in her life.

"Whatcha thinking about beautiful?" Nathan asked.

"Wedding songs," Brooke answered.

"Oh ya, we have to pick one don't we?"

"NATE! It's an important decision. We'll remember that song for the rest of our lives. It will be the first song we dance to as a married couple. I want to make sure it's perfect and romantic."

"Baby, I was teasing. I know we have to pick one. In fact, I've got a few ideas of my own."

"Oh ya? Please tell me your idea doesn't involve anything rap."

"It doesn't. I promise."

"Thank god."

Nathan just laughed. Sometimes Brooke could be a bit dramatic but he loved her anyway. The decision of what song they would dance to was gonna be a fun one he could tell. Knowing Brooke, they'd end up listening to every single song they both wanted and dancing to them and then deciding from there. All Nathan knew was whatever they chose had to be special and perfect. The song had to describe exactly how much Nathan loved Brooke and what she meant to him. If there was any song on either list that didn't fit that bill, it would be eliminated.

"What do you say we go choose our wedding song?" Nathan asked as he parked in their driveway.

"I'd love to," Brooke answered.

They walked into the house, hand in hand. Everything was falling into place for the young couple. Nathan was enjoying being a part of the Nets and Brooke was enjoying her job at the newspaper even if her editor was a pain in the ass. Nathan stopped when they reached the living room and sat on the couch, pulling Brooke back gently so she could lean against him.

"What do you think should our song?" Nathan asked Brooke.

"I have three ideas," Brooke answered.

"Oh ya? What are they?"

"A Moment Like This, You and Me and Music of My Heart."

"Huh."

"What about you? What do you think should be our song?"

"I was thinking about Thank You For Loving Me, The Perfect Fan and Lean on Me."

"Nathan Scott, did I just hear you say you were thinking about a Backstreet Boys song?"

"Yes you did. I can't help it though. That's how I feel. I love you and you've always been my perfect fan."

"So sappy. When did this happen?"

"The moment I looked into your gorgeous eyes."

Brooke blushed. She cocked her head so she could see Nathan and kissed him softly. He smiled and returned the kiss. They stayed like that on the couch for a while, of course with Brooke facing the other way. Otherwise she'd have a stiff neck.

"Did we decide on colors?" Nathan asked.

"Oh crap! I totally forgot about colors," Brooke answered.

"No you didn't. Brooke, you already told me what colors you wanted and I told you that I thought they would be perfect."

"We did? When? I don't remember talking about colors for the wedding. What did I tell you?"

"Baby blue and silver."

"Oh ya. Wintry colors. I remember now. You wanted red and green like Christmas and I talked you out of that."

"See, I told you we talked about colors already."

Brooke didn't say anything. Instead she stuck her tongue out at Nathan.

"Hey, put that tongue away unless you were planning on doing something with it."

"And what if I was?"

"You won't get any complaints from me."

Brooke laughed as she swatted Nathan's chest. They both knew she wasn't that kind of girl. At least she wasn't now if she was in high school. There was no thrill in that anymore for Brooke and Nathan didn't like it much anymore either. To him it made the sex seem cheap and loveless. The last thing he wanted to do was make Brooke feel cheap. Cause she was definitely not loveless. Nathan loved her more than words could describe and she knew it.

"Who would have thought that Tree Hill's spoiled rich brats would marry each other?" Nathan laughed.

"Oh come you know you liked me when we were kids," Brooke shot back.

"Right. I forgot. You were my dream girl."

"I knew it."

Nathan rolled his eyes. This was crazy. But it didn't matter. All that was ever gonna matter was that he was with Brooke forever. They were a perfect match. And they both knew it. As did the rest of the world, well at least those in the world to know both Nathan and Brooke. All anyone had to do to see how in love they were was look at them. It showed in their faces."Nathan when can we go to Tree Hill?" Brooke asked.

"Soon. There's only a couple more days of mini camp for basketball and then we can go," Nathan replied.

"Ok."

"Wait why do we need to go now? The wedding's not til December."

"I know but I want to go now and scope things out."

"What things?"

"We haven't decided exactly where we're gonna have the ceremony or the reception. We need to take care of that Nathan."

"How about this? Let's get married on the beach and then we can stay there all night long. Even for the reception."

"Are you just saying that to talk me out of going to Tree Hill?"

"No we can still go."

"You don't want to. I can see it in your eyes."

"I don't really wanna get caught up in all the crap with Dan. Not right now. Besides it wouldn't be good for you either. Besides we'll already be there for Thanksgiving and then again for Christmas and New Year's. I really think we should hold off for right now."

"Babe. I wanna go. I miss Karen and Jason."

Brooke pouted at Nathan. She was determined to get him to say they would go after his mini camp ended. If they didn't go now she'd be forced to wait for Thanksgiving and the thought alone was killing her.

"I know you miss Karen and Jason. But I'm not sure if being in Tree Hill is the best thing for you right now. People are gonna figure out who it was that saw Dan shoot Keith and they'll all be talking. I don't want to subject you to that."

"Nate, I grew up in Tree Hill. I can handle anything anyone from that town throws at me. Can we please just go? I'm only asking for like 3 days tops. That's all I want."

"Three days?"

"Three days. I don't think I could take a week of the North Carolina heat being pregnant. Three days seems easy enough to handle. Please Nathan?"

"Ok, we'll go. Three days, that's it and then we're coming back."

"Thank you baby."

"You're welcome."

Nathan still wasn't sure if going to Tree Hill was a good idea but Brooke really wanted to go and he wasn't one to disappoint her. The more he thought about it the more it occurred to him that being in Tree Hill for a few days might be good for Brooke. And he could use a vacation too. They were gonna need one because pretty soon they would be in full wedding/baby arrival swing/basketball season and then there would be no time for a vacation.

"You think Luke would go to Tree Hill with us?" Brooke asked breaking into Nathan's thoughts.

"I don't know. You could always ask him," Nathan replied honestly. Part of him wanted Lucas to go with them and part of him didn't for the same reasons he didn't want Brooke to go to Tree Hill.

Brooke nodded. She knew that but she wanted to know what Nathan thought about it. Obviously she was gonna call Lucas and ask him if he would be interested. This wasn't something they could decide for him or force on him. He would have to decide for himself but Brooke wanted to make sure the option to go with them to Tree Hill was offered to Lucas.

"Yo, Jared!" Lucas yelled as he stepped out onto the court.

"What's up Luke!" Jared yelled back.

"I gotta ask you a question."

Jared passed the ball off to one of their other teammates and jogged over to Lucas. They sat on the court away from all the action and Jared looked at Lucas questioningly.

"What's your question?"

"Do you know a Lt. Michael Ashley in Tree Hill, NC?"

"Mikey made Lt.?"

"So I guess you know him?"

"Luke, Mikey's my brother."

"Cool."

"How do you know Mikey?"

"I don't. He called me. My dad's being charged with the shooting death of my uncle and the cops were checking out my dad's alibi or something and the Lt. that called me was a Michael Ashley. I figured I'd ask you if you knew him when I came back from Jersey."

"Oh wow. That sucks man. I'm sorry."

"Nah, it's cool. I don't get along much with my dad. My uncle was more like my father than he'll ever be. So this isn't the hard part. The hard part was hearing that Keith was dead and then knowing I'll never get to talk to him again and he didn't get to see me make it this far."

"Scott! Ashley! What are you doing? This is not tea time. Get your asses on the court!" the coach yelled when he spotted them sitting on the floor talking while everyone else was busting their ass.

Lucas and Jared stood up and ran back onto the court. They were worked like dogs. By the time practice was over neither one of them thought they were gonna live to see the next day. Their teammates laughed as they watched the two young guys walking around like two dead guys. They slapped hands and got in their cars and left the arena.

When Lucas got home he walked into his house and kicked his shoes off at the door. Because he was so tired from practice he didn't bother going up to his bedroom. He just walked into the living room and flopped down on his couch and fell asleep. Two hours later Lucas woke up to the phone ringing. He was trying to ignore it and go back to sleep but it didn't seem to be stopping. Finally, just as Lucas was about to stand up and answer it, the ringing stopped. He closed his eyes and was just about to go back to sleep and his cell phone started ringing. Frustrated he reached over and silenced the ringing. Silence blanketed the house and Lucas was asleep again within minutes. Whoever was trying to get a hold of him would have to wait, sleep sounded much more appealing then any phone conversation.

Nathan groaned as he heard Lucas' voicemail. He had been trying to get a hold of him to ask him to be his best man in the wedding and Lucas wasn't answering either phone. Frustrated, Nathan dialed Lucas' cell one more time.

"What do you want?" Lucas grumbled.

"Morning sunshine," Nathan laughed.

"Kiss my ass."

"No thank you."

"What do you want?" Lucas repeated his question.

"I just need to ask you a question."

"Ok. What's up?"

"Brooke and I are working on wedding plans and I realized I haven't asked you yet."

"Asked me what. Dude you woke me up, so can you hurry up? I would like to go back to sleep in this lifetime."

"Sure sorry."

"Well?" Lucas was getting agitated. The longer Nathan kept him on the phone the less sleep he was getting.

"Will you be my best man?"

"Of course I will. Dude you didn't have to ask me that. You should have known I'd say yes."

"I tried to tell Brooke the same thing but she made me call and ask anyway. Just to make sure or something."

"Pregnant girls."

"Hey watch it pal. That's my fiancé you're talking about."

"Ya I know."

"Oh good cause I was worried you had forgotten."

"You were not."

"Shut up."

"No you shut up."

"Go back to bed lazy."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Nathan closed his phone and got up to find Brooke. He found her in the kitchen with papers spread out everywhere. At first glance Nathan saw that they were menu choices, guest lists, wedding party, and some other stuff. Looking at the pieces of paper made Nathan smile because they were representative of the next big step he would be taking with Brooke in their relationship.

"Baby what did Luke say?" Brooke asked.

"He said he'll be my best man and that I didn't even have to ask him," Nathan replied.

"I can't help it. I wanted to be absolutely sure because it would look bad if you didn't have a best man because you decided to ride on the assumption that your brother was gonna agree to it."

"Relax, it's ok sweetie. I don't mind really. I just thought you should know that I was right and Lucas said that I didn't have to actually ask him to be my best man."

Brooke was silent. She was looking at Nathan and she couldn't help but feeling truly blessed to have him by her side. Some people would tell her she was lucky to have Nathan but she never believed it was luck. Brooke knew that it was meant to be. Nathan was the only guy for her and he made sure to tell her that she was the only girl for him.

"Karen's gonna be a bridesmaid? What about Peyton?" Nathan asked as he took a closer look at the list of people in the wedding party.

"I haven't decided what I want to do there. I mean I know it would be wrong to not ask Peyton to be a bridesmaid but I'm still not real sure I want to," Brooke replied.

"I'm ok with it as long as you make the decision that will make you the happiest. That's all I want for you. If you're not happy it's not worth it."

"Baby, that's sweet."

"I know. But I mean it Brooke."

Nathan was looking Brooke in her eyes as he said that so she could see how sincere he was being. Brooke was amazed yet again by the man who's eyes she was staring into. Nathan never failed to make sure she knew that he was always behind her 100 in any decision she made.

"I really did get the better of the Scott boys," Brooke laughed.

"You're darn right," Nathan said.

"Apparently I got the arrogant one too."

Nathan pretended like he was hurt and Brooke just laughed at him.

"I am not arrogant," Nathan insisted.

"Sure whatever you say babe," Brooke laughed.

"I'm not. I swear." Nathan had his arms crossed over his chest and he was scowling. Brooke looked up at him and smiled. It was entertaining for her to have him take her so seriously. She didn't truly believe Nathan was arrogant. Not anymore that is.

"I know you're not. I was teasing you."

"Mean!"

"Yup. You caught me."

"So, Tree Hill next week?" Nathan asked desperately trying to change the subject.

"Ya. Next week. I can't wait," Brooke answered.

The two of them walked into the living room and settled down on the couch. Nathan grabbed the remote and flipped the tv on. He was hoping there was a baseball game or something. As he flipped past the Yankees network he saw that there was in fact a game on. Brooke groaned when Nathan went back and focused in on the tv.

"Baby, do we have to watch the Yankees? I don't like them," Brooke stated.

"Sweetheart, I don't like them either but I hate the Mets more so I refuse to watch their games," Nathan tried to explain.

"Whatever."

Brooke slouched against Nathan and closed her eyes. Just because Nathan wanted to watch didn't mean she had to. As long as she was with Nathan that was all she needed. Nathan wrapped his arm under her stomach and watched the game. He had to be careful not to yell and wake her up when he saw her close her eyes.

Ok guys…I'm going with a poll to decide the wedding song. There are 6 songs to choose from. Just tell me in a review which one you think and whatever gets the most votes will be the song.

1-Thank You For Loving Me

by Bon Jovi

2-You and Me

by Lifehouse

3-A Moment Like This

by Kelly Clarkson

4-The Perfect Fan

by Backstreet Boys

5-Music of my Heart

by Nsync and Gloria Estefan

6-Lean on Me

by Bill Withers


	21. Wedding by the Sea

The next five months were crazy for Brooke and Nathan. They were finalizing wedding plans, getting another crib and rearranging the babies' room and basketball had started at the beginning of October. Brooke and Haley made it to all the home games and they loved watching Nathan and Jake playing basketball together.

Brooke had decided that she did want Peyton to be a bridesmaid in the wedding. She knew she'd regret it if she had decided against and Peyton of course accepted. Brooke had also asked to have Joaquin as the ring bearer. Jenny and Bella were going to be the flower girls. Haley was going to be Brooke's maid of honor. Peyton, Karen and Bevin would be the bridesmaids. Lucas was gonna be Nathan's best man. Coop, Jake and Skills would be his groomsmen. As it got closer and closer to Christmas, both Brooke and Nathan were getting excited. They were getting married on New Year's Eve on the beach in Tree Hill. They were setting up a tent on the beach for the reception with a dance floor and everything. They couldn't wait to get out there.

Nathan was playing in the game against the Bobcats in Charlotte the day before Christmas Eve then he was off til the middle of January. Neither Brooke or Nathan knew it yet but they were going to be spending 6 days and 5 nights in a resort on Miami Beach, FL. It was Karen's wedding present for them.

"Nathan!" Brooke yelled excitedly.

"What's up baby?" Nathan yelled back.

"Are you sure you can't come to Tree Hill with me today?"

"I wish I could sweetie but there are still two more games to play before we head to Charlotte. I promise to come see you the first chance I get once we're there."

"Okay. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too."

Nathan leaned down and kissed her sweetly. It was gonna be interesting the next couple days. Haley was flying down to Tree Hill with Brooke and the kids so Jake didn't have to miss anymore games then he had to with being in the wedding and all. The girls were gonna do some bonding with Karen before everyone else arrived and then it would be time to get crazy with Christmas and rehearsals and then the actually ceremony. Brooke had no idea but Peyton and Haley were planning a bachelorette party for her.

"Hey Brooke!" Haley called as she walked into the house. Things had settled down to normal between the two girls and it didn't bother anyone if they walked into each other's houses without knocking.

"Hales! I'm so excited!" Brooke squealed as she wrapped her friend into a hug.

"Ok ladies, if you're ready it's time to head off to the airport," Nathan said with a smile as he watched them.

They nodded enthusiastically as they went out to the car. Nathan carried Brooke's suitcases and loaded them in the trunk. Haley had told Jake to hang out a minute so he could put her stuff in Nathan's trunk before they left. Along with the kids' stuff.

"See you soon sweetheart," Jake said as he kissed her.

"Bye hunny," Haley replied.

"Take care of Nate for me Jake," Brooke said as she hugged her friend.

"Don't you worry about a thing. Nate and I will see you in a few days," Jake told her.

With that the girls got in the car and waited for Nathan to get into the driver side and take them to the airport. The four kids were in the backseats sleeping. Nathan said good-bye to everybody after he took the luggage out of the trunk.

"I love you hunny. I can't wait to see you in a couple days. Our wedding day is going to be the best day of our lives," Nathan said as he wrapped Brooke into a tight embrace.

"I love you too. I can't wait for the wedding. It's the one thing I've dreamt about since I was a little girl. Please be careful. I don't want you to get banged up before the wedding," Brooke replied.

"I'll be careful if you be careful. I don't you or my sons getting hurt."

Brooke blushed as she stood on her toes the best she could to kiss Nathan. He kissed her back and let her go from his embrace. He watched her walk into the airport with Haley and the kids along with their luggage. A few more days and he would be married to the gorgeous brunette.

As they were boarding the plane a half hour later Brooke couldn't help but smile. Yet another chapter was ending her life to make way for the beginning of one more chapter. This chapter would probably be her favorite because it was starting with her wedding. That itself could be a chapter but Brooke saw it was the beginning of a chapter that was married life and children.

**December 31st—Wedding Day!**

Brooke woke up to someone tapping her shoulder. Grumbling she turned to see who it was. A smile spread across her face when she saw Peyton and Haley standing there. She threw back the covers and jumped out of bed. The three girls had stayed at Peyton's father's house. He had come home for the holidays and was staying for Brooke's wedding.

"I'm getting married today," she squealed. It was only 6:40 in the morning and there already tears in her eyes. Everything had truly come together for her and she was excited to have her best friends share the happiness with her.

"B, I'm so happy for you," Peyton gushed as she threw her arms around her best friend.

"Thanks best friend. I love you."

"I love you too."

Haley looked at the floor for a minute.

"Hales get over here! I love you too," Brooke said when she saw Haley staring at the floor. Grinning, Haley walked over and joined in the hug.

"This is gonna be a great day for you Tigger," Haley smiled.

"I'm just glad you're here."

"Of course I'd be here!"

The girls decided they should get showered and have some breakfast before heading to Karen's to get ready for the ceremony. The girls were all getting ready at Karen's and the guys were getting ready at Lucas' place. He decided not to sell it for now so he could come home during the off season and other times. His decision made Karen and Jason both happy.

Two hours later, the girls were showered and fed and out the door. Bevin was meeting them there and Jake was dropping Bella and Jenny off around 10:30. Brooke didn't think it would be fair to wake them up to go to Karen's with them the whole time.

"There's the beautiful bride to be," Karen said happily as she opened the door to find Brooke, Haley, Peyton and Bevin all waiting to come in.

"Hey Karen," Brooke replied as she smiled widely.

The girls filed into the house and suddenly, the usually quiet house had turned into a madhouse with clothes and accessories and food wrappers strewn all over mixed with Jason's toys.

Brooke had just finished helping Bevin get her dress zipped up when the door bell rang.

"I'll get it!" Brooke yelled but Haley beat her to it.

"Mommy!" Bella and Jenny squealed when she opened the door.

"Hey girls," Haley said as she let them. Jake kissed her quickly and left. He had to go back to Luke's to get ready for the ceremony himself.

"Here are your dresses girls," Brooke said as she handed each girl a hanger that was holding their dresses. Bella's dress was silver and Jenny's was baby blue. Of course Brooke designed them herself. Haley ushered the girls toward an empty bedroom to help them get changed into their dresses. Brooke was the only one who wasn't dressed yet which didn't go unnoticed by Peyton.

"Hey, B, how come you're not dressed yet?" she asked.

Brooke turned around to face Peyton and her eyes lit up when she saw the bridesmaid dress on her best friend. It looked gorgeous.

"Oh gosh, Peyt. You look gorgeous," she gushed, completely ignoring the question.

"Thanks but I asked you a question."

"Oh right, I'm going to change right now, I was waiting for Bella and Jenny to get here first."

"Ok."

Brooke turned and went into Karen's room where she was getting changed. Her dress was hanging on the back of Karen's door. As she reached to take it down, she noticed a piece of paper attached to the hanger that hadn't been there before. Curiously she took it off the hanger and sat on the bed to read it.

"Brooke,

Congratulations on finding the right guy for you. Today is going to be a special day. I'm just sorry your mom isn't here to share this with you. There's a necklace on my dresser that your father sent me. He said it was your mother's and that he hopes you'll wear it today. I love you sweetheart.

Love,

Karen"

Brooke felt tears welling up in her eyes as she walked over to the dresser. She looked down and spotted the necklace immediately. Karen was right, it was her mother's. Brooke lifted it gingerly and held it in her hands. Of course she was going to wear the necklace. She'd do anything to feel like her mom was there. As soon as she fastened the clasp, Brooke turned her attention back to the dress. She took it off the hanger and slipped into it. Before she left the room, Brooke wanted to check her reflection in the full length mirror. She had tears in her eyes again as she saw herself in the dress. It was perfect. Everything about the day had been perfect up to that moment. Wiping the tears from her eyes, Brooke opened Karen's bedroom door and heard gasps immediately. Looking up she saw Karen, Haley, Peyton and Bevin looking at her smiling.

"Brooke your dress is gorgeous," Karen said as she wrapped the girl into a hug, "I see you found the necklace."

"Yes, thank you Karen," Brooke replied.

"Don't thank me. Thank your dad later."

"Brooke you look amazing!" Peyton squealed as she too hugged the bride.

Haley and Bevin echoed the sentiments of both Karen and Peyton. Brooke responded by hugging the three of them together. Today was going to be a fabulous day. Nothing could go wrong if you asked Brooke. She felt like she was floating above everyone else and the only thing that would bring her back down was seeing Nathan waiting for her at the altar.

Just before it was time for the girls to head to the beach the doorbell rang again. This time Karen answered it and she smiled when she saw James Davis standing at her door in a tux.

"Hello James," she said as she ushered him in.

"Hello Karen. Where's my baby?" James said.

"Right here Daddy," Brooke spoke up as she came into view.

"You couldn't possibly be my little girl."

Brooke laughed as James pulled her into a hug.

"You look beautiful sweetheart."

"Thank you Daddy."

As soon as they separated everyone was heading out to the limo. Brooke was getting nervous but not like "am I doing the right thing" nervous or "will he stand me up" nervous. They were just typical wedding day jitters and she didn't bother worrying about it. She knew Nathan would be waiting for her and it was more than the right thing. Once they got to the beach everyone piled out of the limo to find that the guys had already gotten to the beach and the photographer was waiting to do pictures of the bridal party. He took a group shot and then shots of Brooke and James and then Karen. Once the photographer was done they had to wait around a little while because it wasn't time for the ceremony to start.

"How you doing Nate?" Jake asked as he clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Fantastic. I can't wait to start the ceremony. She's just so perfect. I couldn't imagine life with anyone but her," Nathan replied.

"Wow, Nate. That was deep," Coop said with a grin.

"Oh what do you know about love Coop?" Nathan teased.

"Ouch."

The guys laughed as Nathan and Coop continued to go back and forth. Lucas had taken to watching Joaquin who was a fairly quiet kid. Lucas promised to tell Peyton that she should let Joaquin have some ice cream if he was a good boy and that seemed to do the trick. After another 20 minutes. It was show time.

Nathan and Lucas took their places at the altar with the minister. They watched as Coop and Peyton walked down the aisle followed by Skills and Bevin then Karen and Jake. Nathan held his breath as he knew it was getting closer to Brooke's turn. He smiled as he saw Haley walking toward them smiling at Jake the whole way followed closely by Joaquin and then came Bella and Jenny. Just as they were half way up the make shift aisle the wedding march began and Nathan looked up to see Brooke standing arm in arm with her dad at the end of the aisle heading towards him.

"I love you Daddy," Brooke whispered as they ascending down the aisle toward Nathan.

"I love you too peanut," James said. He could feel the tears prick the back of his eyes. His baby girl was getting married and he couldn't be happier for her.

Brooke had her eyes locked on Nathan the entire way down the aisle. She had tears in her eyes and she could see that there were tears in his eyes too. Finally she reached Nathan. James stopped her and kissed her cheek. Nathan took her hand from James' hand and James stepped back. Brooke grabbed both of Nathan's hands and faced him. They were grinning wildly at each other with tear stained cheeks already. This was it. The moment that they had waited for and fought to get too.

"I love you," Brooke mouthed.

"I love you," Nathan mouthed back.

"Who gives this woman to this man?" the minister asked.

"I do," James said proudly.

He kissed Brooke's cheek one more time before he sat down with his wife and their children. Neither Nathan or Brooke had spoken a word yet and there were tears running down his face. This was going to be tough for him.

"We are gathered here today to join in Holy Matrimony, Nathan Lee and Brooke Penelope," the ministered said, "Marriage is a life long commit to one another to love and to honor from now until death. It is a sacred binding of two lives to form one. These two young people have chosen to express their love for one another before ya'll in their own words. If anyone has any good reason why they should not be married, speak now or forever hold your peace."

Nobody objected.

"Brooke go ahead."

"Nathan, you have been my everything for so long. I can't imagine life without you. If not for you and your unconditional love and support I would be nothing. You stood by me when my mom died and again when everything seemed to be going wrong in my life on top of that. You have given me a reason to believe in true love and I couldn't be happier than I am at this moment. I look in your eyes and I know that this, this is right. This is true and this is my fairy tale I've dreamt of since I was a little girl. You are my knight in shining armor. My prince charming. I love you," Brooke said. She got about halfway through before she was crying.

"Brooke, you taught me a lot about life and what it means to truly love someone. There hasn't been a single moment that we've been together that I thought I wanted out. I knew I wanted to be with you forever from day one. There was something in your eyes that told me not ever let you go. You light up my world. I don't need money or basketball or anything material if I've got you. Baby, I'm not going anywhere unless you go too. I want you to know, that I am all in. Forever. Nobody can take you away from me. I love you but more importantly, thank you for loving me," Nathan said.

By the time he was done speaking, there wasn't a dry eye on the beach. Haley, Peyton and Karen were biting their lips to keep from sobbing. Brooke herself was sobbing silently. Lucas reached up and wiped the tears from his own eyes. He couldn't have been happier for his brother and best friend. They were two people who he thought deserved all the happiness in the world and he knew that they had found it in each other.

"May I have the rings please?" the minister asked.

Lucas tapped Joaquin on the shoulder and held out his hand. The little boy smiled and gave Lucas the rings who handed them off to the minister. He handed the rings to both Nathan and Brooke.

"Nathan, repeat after me," the minister began, "With this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring, I thee wed," Nathan repeated as he stared deep into Brooke's eyes before looking down for a split second to slide the ring on her finger.

The minister looked at Brooke now who still had tears running down her face.

"Brooke repeat after me," he repeated again, "With this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring, I thee wed," she said as slid the ring onto Nathan's finger.

"Do you, Nathan Lee, take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife?" the minister asked.

"I do," Nathan answered as he squeezed Brooke's hands.

"And do you, Brooke Penelope, take this man to be your lawful wedded husband?" he asked.

"I do," Brooke said softly through her tears.

"By the power vested in my by the state of North Carolina, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Nathan pulled Brooke in for a slow, sweet kiss. When he pulled back he brushed his hand over her cheeks to wipe away the tears. Brooke reached up to do the same for Nathan.

"It is my pleasure to present you, Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Scott," the minister said as they turned and walked down the aisle while the guests and wedding party applauded thunderously.

Everyone got up and made their over to the dance floor/eating area. Brooke and Nathan had to do a few more photos before they could join the party along with their families and the wedding party. After they were done they went over to where the reception was in full swing. The deejay caught sight of the newlyweds and cut into the song that he had put on.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's give it up one more time for Nathan and Brooke Scott!" he said into the microphone as they walked onto the dance floor. More thunderous applause greeted them. They smiled as they walked over to their table to join the rest of the wedding party.

As soon as Brooke sat down she could feel someone wrap their arms around her. She turned and smiled when she realized it was Haley.

"Congratulations, Tigger," she whispered.

"Thanks, Hales," Brooke whispered back. They let go and Peyton converged on her friend.

"B.Scott. I love you," Peyton said through tears.

"I love you too," Brooke replied through her own tears which had started again.

"Hurt her and die," Peyton said with a playful glare in Nathan's direction.

"I'm not gonna hurt her. Ever," Nathan said sincerely.

Everybody was eating in a fairly comfortable silence when the deejay announced it was time for the newlyweds to have their first dance as a married couple. They rose to their feet and walked onto the dance floor, holding each other in a sweet embrace. As soon as the opening notes for "You and Me" by Lifehouse began Brooke pulled back a little and held Nathan's gaze for the whole song. When it was done they were both crying and the deejay had announced that they wanted everyone to join them on the dance floor.

Shortly after that, it was time for the bride and her father to have a dance.

"May I have this dance?" James asked.

"Of course Daddy," Brooke replied.

They danced to "My Girl" which again made Brooke cry. After that dance, Nathan walked onto the floor with Karen to have a mother-son dance. They danced to "You're the Inspiration" by Chicago. When they finished dancing, Nathan hugged Karen tightly and whispered "thanks Mom" in her ear. Karen walked away with tears in her eyes. She had never heard Nathan call her "Mom" before and it touched her in ways she couldn't describe.

After all the dancing was done Brooke had danced with Lucas, Jake, Skills, Coop and even her stepbrothers. Which had been awkward at first but she decided they were cool. At least on first impression. Nathan danced with Haley, Peyton, Bevin, and then finally made it back to Brooke in time for "Thank You For Loving Me" which he suspected someone had asked the deejay to play for them because he knew he hadn't done it. He scanned the area and his eyes landed on Lucas who was smiling.

"Thank you," he mouthed to his brother.

"You're welcome," Lucas mouthed back as he watched the happy couple dance.

Finally the dance floor cleared for the most part and Haley and Lucas decided it was speech time. Lucas was gonna go first. He tapped his wine glass with his fork to get everyone's attention before he started speaking.

"Nathan and Brooke. I've known you two forever. Nate it clearly goes without saying since you're my little brother. We've gone through some good times and some bad times but through it all I always knew you'd make it to this day. Together. I always saw something that no one else could see. Every time I saw you looking at each other, and just the way that you were always right there to pick each other up. Love is the best feeling ever and I'm happy to see that you two have found it in each other. Don't ever lose that spark. I love you both," Lucas said as he was looking at them.

"Thank you, I love you too," Brooke whispered when he sat back down.

"Thanks bro, I love you too," Nathan said.

They fell silent again as Haley rose to her feet. It was her turn. Brooke had a funny feeling she would be bawling after Haley was done her speech.

"As most of you know, I took off for my music career at a rather tough spot in Brooke's life without giving thought to what Brooke needed. I was all about me and what I wanted. So you can just imagine how shocked I was after the crap I pulled that Brooke still wanted me to be the maid of honor today. I didn't think I deserved it and I'm still not sure I deserve but I couldn't say no. I look at them and I see a lot of what Luke sees but from a different light. If Nathan had been there for Brooke after my disappearing act, I don't know that we would all be here to celebrate this next step in their lives. You guys are amazing and I want nothing but the best and brightest in the future. I love you so much," Haley said.

Brooke was right. Haley wasn't done before she had started bawling. The two girls were watching each other and neither one was surprised to see the other one in tears. Brooke stood up and hugged Haley then stole the microphone.

"Ok, enough of the mush. Let's party!" she yelled.

Everyone laughed and they danced and had a great time. Finally it was time for the bouquet toss and garder "fling" as Nathan referred to it. Bevin caught the bouquet and Lucas caught the garder which caused him to blush. There was something strange about holding a weird looking article of clothing that was up high on his sister-in-law's leg. After that was done, James grabbed the microphone. He had something he wanted to say to Brooke and Nathan as well.

"Today is a father's worst nightmare and dream come true all wrapped in one. And I'm no different. I can't bear to think that my little girl is old enough to be getting married and start a family but at the same time I couldn't be happier about the very same thing. I'm so proud of the woman she's becoming and I know her mother would be proud. Brookie I love you. Nathan you better take care of my little girl and welcome to the family, son," James said.

Brooke ran over to her father the best she could and wrapped her arms around his neck. The tears were falling again but Brooke didn't care. This was definitely the happiest day of her life and it meant everything to her that her father had been able to join here.

"Thank you Daddy," she choked out.

"I love you Princess," James said through his own tears.

"Ok we have two more songs before the bride and groom have to get out of here to start the honeymoon," the deejay announced as he put on "Daddy's Girl".

Naturally, Brooke danced with James. The last song was "A Moment Like This". Nathan and Brooke danced to that one along with everyone else who found someone to dance with. As soon as the song ended, Karen walked over to the couple and handed them an envelope. They gave her a puzzled look and she urged them to open it quickly.

"Oh my gosh, Karen, thank you," Brooke squealed as she hugged Karen.

"You're welcome. Have a good time and be safe," Karen said.

"Thanks Mom," Nathan said for the second time that day.

"You're welcome. Now go on, get out of here."

Brooke and Nathan had decided against the rice and the bubbles and just walked off the beach toward the limo that was waiting to take them to the airport after saying their good-byes. They climbed into the limo and Brooke collapsed against Nathan's chest.

"Today was the best day of my life," she said.

"I agree. I love you, Mrs. Scott," Nathan said.

"I love you too, Mr. Scott."

_And that my friends, is the chapter we've all been waiting for. I hope you enjoyed it. It's extra long but I couldn't help it. You know the drill! _


	22. Panic at the Honeymoon

Nathan and Brooke were enjoying their time in Miami Beach. They had been there for three days so far and stayed in the hotel mostly except for going out to eat. Brooke wasn't feeling much like doing anything crazy and Nathan didn't care as long as he spent time with his wife. Thinking about Brooke as his wife made Nathan smile brighter than he had ever smiled in his life. He turned on his side in the bed to face her. She looked so sweet when she slept. Nathan kissed her softly and pulled her into him before closing his eyes again.

A few hours Nathan woke up and he felt that Brooke wasn't next to him anymore. He didn't think anything of it till he heard a weird noise coming from the bathroom. Throwing the covers back he ran to see what was wrong. The site before him, broke his heart. Brooke was squatting in front of the toilet, holding on with one hand and grabbing her stomach with the other. There were tears flowing from eyes and into her mouth.

"Babe, what's wrong?" Nathan asked as he dropped down to the floor.

"I, I don't know. It hurts Nathan," Brooke cried.

"What hurts? Talk to me."

Nathan pulled Brooke back a little bit so he could have her in his lap. He wiped the tears from her face as they kept falling and kissed her hair. It bothered him to see her in pain and not know how to fix it for her.

"I don't know. I woke up and something didn't feel right. I came in here and then I don't know, there was some sharp pain in my stomach which was followed shortly with my leaning over the toilet and throwing up."

Nathan didn't know what to say. This was a new thing for him but it didn't sound right. Something was wrong. He had to call Dr. Scott and see if she could tell him what to do for Brooke or maybe _what_ was wrong. Carefully he lifted Brooke from his lap. He hadn't noticed before but when he looked down at himself and saw a wet spot on his pants he panicked.

"Don't go," Brooke begged.

"I'm just getting the phone sweetie," Nathan replied as he turned back to face her.

"What's that?" she sputtered as she pointed at the spot.

Nathan mentally kicked himself. He hadn't wanted her to see that because he knew she'd panic. And he thought he was panicked enough for the two of them.

"Nathan?" she asked fear evident in her voice.

"I don't know baby, I was just gonna call Dr. Scott and ask her what's going on. Stay right here baby," Nathan told her as kissed her forehead.

Nathan ran to the bedroom and got his cell phone and back to the bathroom. He was frantically dialing the number to the doctor's office in New Jersey. There was a feeling of helplessness hanging over him and Nathan didn't like it. He couldn't stand by and watch as she suffered. It didn't seem fair.

"Hello, Dr. Scott's office how can I help you?" a young girl asked.

"Hi can I speak to Dr. Scott please? It's important," Nathan replied, trying to calm himself down.

"One moment please."

Nathan waited until he heard Dr. Scott get on the phone.

"Hello, this is Dr. Scott. Who is this?" Dr. Scott greeted.

"Dr. Scott, it's Nathan Scott, Brooke Scott's husband," Nathan said.

"Nathan, how are you and Brooke?"

"I'm ok. Brooke isn't though. I don't know what's wrong with her. She's sitting on the bathroom floor, well actually. She's not even sitting, she's squatting and she said there was a sharp pain in her stomach. And I had her sitting on my lap for a minute and when I stood up there was wet spot from where she had been sitting. I don't know what's wrong. I need you to tell me and then I need you to tell me how to fix it."

"When did this start?"

"I don't know. I was asleep but I woke up 20 minutes ago because I heard Brooke throwing up. Tell me what's wrong with her? Are the babies okay?"

"Nathan, calm down. I don't know if I can help you right now."

"Wha, what? But I can't do this. I don't even know what's wrong. Or how to find out what it is."

"Slow down, I can't help you right now because I don't know where you live."

"We're, uh, not home yet. We're still in Miami Beach on our honeymoon."

"Oh. Well then this is going to be extremely difficult."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"I need you to listen to me very carefully, Nathan. It's important to keep Brooke and your sons healthy."

"Ok. I'm listening."

"Call 911 and request an air lift to New Jersey. I'll meet you at the hospital in Hackensack."

"Why can't I take her to the hospital here? What if she can't last that long?"

Nathan was becoming more nervous as time went on. He wasn't used to this helpless feeling that was growing by the minute. Calling Dr. Scott wasn't looking like the good idea he thought it was going to be and that frustrated him.

"Nathan," Brooke whispered weakly.

"Brooke, what is it sweetie?" Nathan asked turning his attention away from the phone.

Brooke didn't respond, instead she passed out and narrowly missed hitting her head on the bathtub as she lay on the cold floor.

"I have to take her to the hospital here. She just passed out," Nathan said frantically into the phone.

"Don't you take her. Call 911. In the meantime get a cold washrag and put in on her forehead. Calm down, everything's going to be fine. I want you to call me when you get to the hospital. I'll be there as soon as I can," Dr. Scott answered firmly.

"Ok."

Nathan closed his phone and opened it again to call 911. He calmly explained to the operator what was going on and where they were. The operator told Nathan that someone would be there to help in a few short minutes. He thanked the person and hung up. Now all he could do was wait. And get the washrag for Brooke. The washrag! How did he forget. Nathan grabbed the washrag that was next to him on the rack and ran it under the cold water. As soon as he was sure it was cool enough, Nathan folded the rag and knelt down to gently place it on Brooke's forehead. He stood up again and grabbed his phone. He wasn't sure how much longer he could deal with this by himself. There was only one person he could talk to.

"Nate why are you calling me while you're on your honeymoon?" Lucas laughed when he answered the phone.

"Something's wrong. I don't know if it's the twins or Brooke but something's wrong," Nathan replied, completely ignoring Lucas' question.

"What do you mean something's wrong? Did you call the doctor?"

"Yes I called the doctor but I have no idea what's wrong. She's passed out on the bathroom floor. I'm waiting for the paramedics to get here. Luke what if something happens to her and the babies? I can't live without them."

"Nathan listen to me."

"Ok."

"Brooke is a fighter. She's a tough girl, whatever the problem is Brooke will get through it. As for the twins, they are Scott-Davis babies. There's no way they're gonna give up without a fight. Stay calm. Hales and I will be there soon."

"How are you and Hales gonna be here when you live on the opposite coast now?"

"Leave that to me. You go back to your wife. She needs you."

"Thanks man. I think they're here anyway."

Nathan closed his phone and went to open the door. He was relieved to see that he had been right.

"Where is she Mr. Scott?" the older male paramedic asked.

"Follow me," Nathan told them.

They followed Nathan and saw that Brooke was laying on the floor with the rag still on her forehead but her eyes were open now. Nathan looked into her eyes and all he could see was fear. His heart shattered into a million pieces.

"Brooke, my name is Jeremy. Can you tell me where it hurts?" the younger paramedic asked.

"Here," Brooke said as she laid a hand across her stomach.

Jeremy lifted Brooke shirt part way up and placed a hand on her stomach. He pressed lightly and watched for a reaction from Brooke. It wasn't until the third time that Brooke reacted. She let out a strangled yelp when Jeremy pressed down. The older male noticed the wet spot that was spreading on Brooke's shorts. His eyebrow raised when he saw that Nathan had one up high on his pants.

"Jeremy we need to transport, now," he said firmly.

"What's wrong?" Brooke panicked.

"Your water broke," Jeremy explained.

"WHAT!" Nathan shouted.

He wasn't ready for this. Not today. They were supposed to have another month or so before the twins were born. He could feel his hands trembling. His breath was shallow but he had the presence of mind to grab Brooke's hand and squeeze it reassuringly. Ready or not, Nathan was gonna be by Brooke's side for everything. They were a team and he couldn't bail out because the timing was wrong. It was evident that nature decided to take matter into its own hands.

"Who's your doctor?" Jeremy asked Nathan.

"Dr. Scott, in New Jersey. We were just here on our honeymoon," Nathan answered.

"Did you call her already?"

"Yes before I called you. I'm supposed to call her when we get to the hospital but I have no idea why."

"I think she knew Brooke's in labor but didn't want to scare you if she's hundreds of miles away."

Nathan was shocked. It hadn't occurred to him that Dr. Scott knew what was wrong but wasn't saying for the reasons Jeremy suggested. This kid was pretty smart and for what it was worth Nathan appreciated everything he was doing for his wife and unborn sons.

"Luke, it's Nate. Brooke's in labor. Get here fast," Nathan said as he got Lucas' voicemail. He closed his phone and hopped into the back of the ambulance with Brooke and Jeremy.

Nathan was sitting next to Brooke holding her hand and just talking to her softly. She kept looking at him and he had no idea if she was hearing him or not. Instead of screaming when it hurt, Brooke bit her lip until it passed.

"Brooke, don't hold it in, scream if you have to," Jeremy said when he saw her biting her lip.

She shook her head. She didn't want to scream. All she wanted was for the pain to go away. It was more unbearable then she could have ever imagined. She wasn't ready for this kind of pain. As tough as she made people think she was, Brooke wasn't good at dealing with physical pain at all. In fact, it completely freaked her out. At least the pain she was feeling now was freaking her out.

"Babe, it's not good for you or the boys to hold it in," Nathan tried thinking maybe she shook her head no because it had been Jeremy who said something.

Again Brooke shook her head no. Screaming wasn't gonna make the pain go away so she didn't see a reason for it. Finally they reached the hospital, Nathan got out of the ambulance and stood there while Jeremy and his partner got the stretched down and wheeled Brooke into the hospital with Nathan by her side.

"Did you call your doctor yet?" Jeremy asked Nathan.

"Oh, no. Thanks for reminding me," Nathan replied.

"You're welcome. Dad."

Nathan smiled. He did like the sound of someone calling him Dad. It gave him a sense of pride like nothing he had ever experienced before.

"Dr. Scott, please," Nathan said as his phone stopped ringing.

"One minute," the operator answered.

"Hello?" Dr. Scott answered.

"Dr. Scott, it's Nathan. Brooke and I are at the hospital. She's in labor."

"Ok. Which hospital? I'll be there as soon as I can." Dr. Scott wasn't gonna tell Nathan that she already knew Brooke was in labor. At least not now, maybe she'd tell him later when he wasn't panicking and nervous. That wasn't her definition of a smart idea when it came to this sort of thing.

"South Shore in Miami Beach."

"Hang in there Nate. Tell Brooke I'll see her soon."

"Ok, thank you."

Nathan closed his phone and turned to see that Brooke was no longer behind him. He panicked because he had never been in this hospital before and he didn't have the first clue how to find his wife.

"Excuse me did you see which way my wife was taken?" he asked the nurse.

"They're heading to the maternity ward. Take the elevator which is down the hall up to the third floor and go to the nurses station there. They should be able to tell you exactly where your wife is sir," the nurse replied.

"Thanks." Nathan tapped the desk twice and took off toward the elevator.

"Hales, it's Luke. We need to get down to Miami," Lucas said when Haley got on the phone.

"Why? What's wrong? Did something happen to Brooke?" Haley was freaking out.

"Nate had to take her to the hospital. But he didn't know what was wrong."

"Oh god. Where are you?"

"New York. We just played the Knicks last night."

"How soon can you get to Newark?"

"I'm at the airport now. I'll be in Newark in like a half hour or so. I'm taking the train over."

"Ok. Did you take care of a flight to Miami?"

"Yes. Just meet me there."

"Ok, bye Luke."

"Bye Hales."

Haley hung up the phone and sighed nervously. She hoped that Brooke and the twins were ok. But since Lucas said Nathan didn't know what was wrong, she was slightly more panicked that she needed to be and didn't even know it. She was going to pack a bag for herself when she heard Colin and Lucas crying from their room that she hadn't thought about the kids being home and Jake wasn't. He had stayed a hotel in New York because they had just played the Knicks a few days before Lucas. She grabbed her cell phone to call him. If she was going to Miami with Lucas, Jake needed to come home to stay with the kids.

"Hey baby," Jake greeted her happily when he saw "Hales" flash on his caller id.

"You need to come home. Now," Haley said.

"Why? What's wrong? Are you ok? Are the kids ok?"

"I'm fine. The kids are fine."

"Then what is it?"

"Luke and I need to go to Miami. Something's wrong with Brooke."

"Oh. Ok. Say no more. I'll be there in like 15 minutes."

"See you when you get here. Be careful."

"I will. I love you."

"I love you too."

Haley closed her phone and went back to packing. She couldn't believe she had managed to forget that her husband wasn't home. But then again, he was a pro athlete so it was common for him to be gone. As soon as she was done packing Haley went to see why Lucas and Colin were crying. It didn't take her long as she caught a whiff of someone's dirty diaper. She had just finished changing Lucas when she heard the front door open. And then there were footsteps up the stairs.

"Hales!" Jake called breathlessly as he burst through the door.

"I don't wanna know how you got here so fast but thank you. I need you to drop me off at the airport."

Jake kissed her and helped her get the kids in their car so that he could take her to the airport. Jenny and Bella were protesting that they wanted to go too but Jake and Haley explained to them that they couldn't because it was a grown up trip.

"Tell Nathan and Brooke I'll be thinking of them," Jake said to Haley as he kissed her softly.

"I will. I should only be gone for a couple days. I'll call you when I know what's going on," Haley said.

"Ok. I love you baby."

"I love you too."

Haley kissed Jake real quick and turned to walk into Newark Airport. As soon as she was inside the building, he fears caught up with her again. She was about to the security check point when she spotted Lucas standing there waiting for her. Smiling she broke out into a slow run in his direction.

"Hey why do you look calm? You sounded nervous on the phone," Haley asked as she reached Lucas.

"I checked my voicemail after I talked to you. Nate called again," Lucas replied.

"And?"

"And the problem was that she was in labor and Nate just freaked out."

"But she's not due for another month and a half. That can't be good for her or the babies."

"I know I already thought of that but the fact that I know what's wrong now makes me feel a little bit better."

"That's true. Ok, let's go."

They walked through the security check with no problems and made their way toward their gate. Haley sat down but Lucas was standing and pacing trying to get a hold of his mom. He knew she'd want to be there for Brooke and that Nathan probably hadn't thought to call anyone else in his worried state. Not that Lucas blamed him. It had to be scary for him to not know what was wrong.

"Hey Mom," Lucas said.

"Lucas, how are you sweetie?" Karen asked.

"I'm fine Mom. Listen, Hales and I are on our way to Miami to be with Brooke and Nathan."

"Why? What's wrong? Did they get hurt?"

"No, Mom. They're fine. Well Nathan more so than Brooke."

Lucas smacked his hand against his head regretting his choice of words.

"What happened to Brooke? You tell me right now Lucas."

He felt bad when he heard the panic in Karen's voice rising.

"She's in labor Mom. I only meant that she's in more pain than Nathan because of that. I'm sorry I didn't mean to worry you more."

"Lucas Eugene Scott, don't you ever scare me like that again. Brooke is more than your half-brother's wife to me. She's like my daughter."

"I know Mom. I thought I'd call and let you know because I remember you said you wanted to be there for Brooke when she has the twins."

"I would love too. But about Jason?"

"Bring him with you. I'm not going in the room until the boys are born anyway. I can keep an eye on him and whatever."

"Are you sure? I could always ask"

"Mom, bring him. You're not leaving my brother with that monster."

"I wasn't gonna say Dan."

"Yes you were but I don't know why you were. Just bring Jason with you. I miss you both."

"Ok fine. We'll see you there."

"Ok bye Mom."

"So your mom's coming down with Jason?" Haley asked.

"Yup."

"Do you think we should call Peyton?"

"I dunno. Let's wait till after the twins are born and then let Brooke decide if she wants Peyton to come."

Haley nodded. It was probably better that way. Brooke would be stressed and the possibility of a fight was inevitable and should be avoided at all costs. Haley was lost in thought so she didn't hear the woman at the podium announce that boarding was starting.

"Hales, c'mon. We're boarding," Lucas said as he shook her should.

Still in a daze Haley rose to her feet and followed Lucas. He watched her and almost as if he was on auto-pilot, he grabbed her hand and squeezed it. She looked up at him and gave him a weak smile. They handed the lady their boarding passes and walked down the ramp onto the plan. It wasn't long before they were in their seats.

"Haley it'll be ok. Brooke's a fighter you know that," Lucas said when he saw that Haley's expression hadn't changed much.

"I know but I can't help it. I need her to be ok. I need her babies to be ok. It'll kill me if they're not. Brooke and I are just starting to get back on track with the friendship thing," Haley rambled.

"Hales! You have to stay positive. I know you're scared. Part of me is too. But we can't let that take over our thoughts. Try and take a nap. Maybe you'll feel better."

Haley nodded as she closed her eyes.

"NATHAN! I can't do this. It hurts. Make it stop," Brooke cried as she squeezed his hand again.

"Brooke you can do this. I know you can. Just take a deep breath honey," Nathan said trying to reassure her that she could do it.

"C'mon Brooke, you're doing great," Dr. Scott tried to encourage her.

"I don't feel great," Brooke snapped.

Nathan was surprised at how nasty Brooke sounded and he gave her a look. She ignored him.

"I'm sorry about that," Nathan said to Dr. Scott.

"It's ok Nathan. She's in pain, I know she doesn't mean to sound nasty," Dr. Scott laughed a little which also shocked Nathan.

"NATHAN!" Brooke yelled again as another contraction hit her.

"It's ok, Brooke, breathe, just like we practiced. Come on you can do this," Nathan said as he stared into her eyes.

He noticed that her forehead was covered in sweat. He reached to wipe it away with his free hand but Brooke slapped it away shaking her head. He looked at Dr. Scott who shrugged her shoulders. Not all women reacted the same during labor.

"Ow, ow, ow! It hurts, oh it hurts!" Brooke cried again.

"Breathe, just like Nathan told you," Dr. Scott said smiling in Nathan's direction.

"I can't."

"Don't say you can't. I know you can. You did it before. Do it again. Come on."

Dr. Scott hated to hear a patient of hers saying she couldn't do something. It made her skin crawl with the exception that she knew what it was like to be in their spot. But she also knew that they could all do it because she herself had done it, three times now. She was brought back to reality by the sound of a machine beeping wildly. Jerking her head in the direction of the sound, her eyes grew wide when she realized what it was. One of the babies' heartbeats was dropping quickly.

"What's that? What's wrong?" Brooke panicked.

"We need to do an emergency c-section. NOW!" Dr. Scott yelled to the team of doctors surrounding her. They jumped into action.

"What's wrong Dr. Scott?" Nathan asked.

"One of the babies' heartbeats is dropping quickly. We can't wait for Brooke to deliver them naturally," Dr. Scott explained. Her heart broke as she saw the fear in Nathan's eyes.

"Are they gonna be ok?"

"The sooner we can get them out, the greater chances they both have of survival."

"What about Brooke? Does this affect her too?"

"Yes. But same thing goes for Brooke. What I need you to do for me, is stay calm. If you stay calm you can help keep Brooke calm too and that will in turn calm the boys down."

"Ok, I can do that."

"I know."

Dr. Scott smiled at Nathan. She was glad Brooke's husband was such a sweet guy. So many times she saw guys who didn't want to be there with the girl but had been forced into or were just too uncomfortable to seem like they cared about the girls. Dealing with Nathan was like a breath of fresh air.

"Dr. Scott, we're ready," Dr. Peter Coughlin said.

"Ok, let's do this," she replied, "Brooke, sweetie, I need you to stay calm for me ok?"

"Ok. Where's Nathan?" Brooke replied.

"I'm right here babe. I'm not going anywhere," Nathan said.

"Hold my hand."

Nathan grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips. He was gonna do everything he could to keep himself and Brooke calm. If he didn't he didn't want to know what that would mean for her and their sons.

"I love you," he whispered in Brooke's ear.

"I love you too," she whispered back.

_Next chapter may get a little intense. The twins are born! YAY! So far I know one will be Nathan Davis Scott but I can't decide what to say Keith's middle name was because I'm totally decided that they will name their other son after him. So if anyone has any suggestions for a good middle name to go with Keith I'd appreciate the help. And thanks so much for the reviews so far! _


	23. James Eugene & Nathan Davis Scott

Nathan was standing by Brooke's side squeezing her hand as he stared into her eyes. It was his job to keep Brooke calm and he was doing pretty good despite screaming inside. He had never been so nervous before in his life. The constant beeping and rushed talking between the doctors told him that something was wrong. What, he wasn't sure, but there was definitely something wrong. Not wanting to focus on the negative aspect of what was going Nathan shook his head. There was no way he could keep Brooke calm if he started to psych himself out.

"Brooke, how are you doing sweetie?" Dr. Scott asked a minute later.

"Ok," Brooke answered.

"How about you Nathan?"

"Good, looking forward to seeing my children," Nathan said as he smiled at Brooke.

Dr. Scott opened her mouth to answer Nathan but was cut off by the heart monitor beeping. She glanced up and snapped back into action. One of the twins' heart rates was dropping steadily and if they didn't hurry up all three lives could be in jeopardy.

Meanwhile in the Miami Airport Lucas, Haley, Karen and Jason had all arrived at the same time and were making arrangements to rent a car for a few days. Lucas was standing at the counter talking to the employee but was getting nowhere. Finally he screamed and asked Karen to talk to man before he put the guy's head through the wall. Karen nodded and made her way to the counter.

"Hales what if something's wrong?" Lucas asked softly staring at the floor.

"Luke come on. We have to be positive. Brooke and Nathan don't need anymore worries than I'm sure they've got going. Hang in there buddy. It'll be ok," Haley said as she sat in the chair next to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"Haley what's labor?" Jason asked sweetly.

"Uh bud, why don't you ask Mommy about that," Lucas interjected. He didn't think his best friend should be explaining this to his four year old brother.

"But why can't I ask Haley?"

"Jason. Please."

Jason stuck his tongue out at Lucas and ran over to Karen. She had just been handed the keys to their rental car and was signing the papers when Jason crashed into her legs.

"Jason what are you doing?" Karen laughed as she looked down at her little boy.

"Luke telled me to ask you what labor is," Jason answered.

"Oh boy."

Karen grabbed Jason's hand and they walked back over to Lucas and Haley.

"Come on, let's get to the hospital," Karen said as she flashed her son and his best friend a smile.

Lucas and Haley rose to their feet and Lucas took Haley's hand in his. She looked down at their hands and back up at Lucas before flashing him a smile. It felt good to have her best friend back. Karen had picked Jason up and carried him out to their car for the week—a candy apple red Ford Mustang Convertible.

"Nice," Lucas said as he let out a low whistle.

"You're not driving it Lucas. I want my son to live past his 5th birthday," Karen said when she saw the glint in Lucas' eye.

"Ooh, burn," Haley laughed as she shoved Lucas.

"Watch it Hales," Lucas shot back.

"Don't you threaten me Lucas."

They were about to take off running through the parking lot when Karen whistled at them. The two of them stopped dead in their tracks to look at her.

"Let's go. The longer you mess around the longer it's gonna take to get to the hospital. And I'm sure your brother will be glad to see you," Karen said as the climbed into the Mustang. Karen and Haley in the front and Jason and Lucas in the back.

"How come I got stuck in the back?" Lucas whined.

"Geez you whine more than Jace does," Haley said as she grinned at Lucas in the mirror.

Lucas didn't respond to that. Instead he crossed his arms and slouched against the seat.

"Almost there Brooke. A few more minutes. This little guy seems to be unwilling to greet the world," Dr. Scott said to Brooke.

"Dr. Scott, we're losing her," Dr. Coughlin said as Brooke's heart monitor made a strange sound.

Nathan's head jerked up in the Dr. Coughlin's direction. He wasn't completely sure but Nathan thought he heard the guy say they were losing his wife. That couldn't happen. Not now, not ever. His breathing was irratic as he tried to keep himself calm but he was failing miserably. He wanted to yell at the doctors and tell them they had to save Brooke and his sons but he didn't have the voice.

"Brooke, hang on, baby," he choked out.

Finally Brooke's heart rate returned to normal. Nathan let out a sigh of relief and leaned over to kiss Brooke's forehead. It had only been about two minutes but to Nathan it seemed like eternity. He was staring into Brooke's eyes just thinking when the sound of a baby's cry shook him. Turning his head he saw Dr. Scott handing Dr. Coughlin his first born son.

"Name?" Dr. Coughlin asked looking at Nathan and Brooke.

"James Eugene Scott," they said.

Dr. Coughlin nodded as he wrote the name down. A couple of nurses had already come in to take the baby for his bath and to be weighed and measured.

Another 20 minutes had gone by and Nathan Davis Scott was brought into the world. The nurse whisked him away quickly because, unlike his brother, he didn't come out crying. In fact, Nathan came out in complete silence and stillness. Dr. Scott saw the look on Nathan's face and tried to reassure him that the baby was going to be fine. But he didn't pay attention, he was focused on Brooke and his sons.

"What's going on? Why can't I see my babies?" Brooke cried when they had closed the incision on her stomach and cleaned up everything.

"Baby, it's ok. Nathan and Jamie are gonna be fine. They just need to get cleaned up," Nathan explained.

Dr. Scott looked at Nathan pointedly and he immediately looked at the floor. He knew what he had said wasn't entirely true. It wasn't that she didn't deserve to know, Nathan thought that the whole truth would be too much for her right now. Thankfully he was saved when a nurse walked back into the room carrying Jamie. She placed him in Brooke's arms and left the room.

"Hi, little guy, I'm your mommy," she whispered as she ran a hand over his small cheeks.

Nathan watched Brooke with Jamie and he felt tears prick the back of his eyes. This was really real. His life would never be the same again and that excited him so much.

"Hey, Jamie, I'm your daddy," he said as he crouched down next to the bed and stroked the top of his son's little head.

"He looks just like you," Brooke smiled at Nathan.

"Poor kid." Nathan laughed lightly.

"No. His daddy happens to be quite handsome. So that's a good thing."

Nathan smiled as he leaned in to kiss Brooke and then he placed a soft kiss on Jamie's head.

"Baby where is Nathan?" Brooke asked after a while.

"Uh, they had to take him to the NICU," Nathan replied while he stared at his shoes.

"What? Why? Nate what's wrong with my baby?"

"Brooke, he wasn't breathing when he came out. They took him down there for precautions. As soon as he starts breathing on his own they'll bring you down to see him," Dr. Scott explained.

"Oh my gosh. Is he going to live?"

"I have no doubts. He's in very good hands here."

Brooke bit her lip as she looked at her husband. She didn't like that she couldn't see both her boys already. Just as she was about to open her mouth to speak she felt a tear trickle down her cheek and a sob caught in her throat. Nathan saw the tears and sat next to her and held her hand. He made circles with his thumb over her hand hoping to soothe her.

"This isn't fair," Brooke kept saying.

"I know babe. I agree but just think about it. He's got Davis and Scott blood running through that little body, not too mention he's got both names. There's no way he'll give up without a fight. He's gonna make it through this. Just have a little faith," Nathan answered her.

"I know but I'm just scared Nate."

"Hey, I am too but we have to stay strong. For Nathan and Jamie. I said it once and I'll say it again. We are a team. And now, it's not just you and I. It's you and I and Jamie and Nathan. There's nothing that could break up this team."

Brooke nodded. She knew Nathan was right but it didn't scare her any less that her son was less than five minutes old and already being whisked away from her. It made her want to fall apart but she couldn't. Not if she was gonna stay strong for her sons and her husband.

Karen, Lucas and Haley burst into the doors of South Shore Hospital with Jason being pulled from behind Lucas. They were all in a rush to find out how Brooke was doing.

"Excuse me," Lucas said breathlessly, "I was wondering if you could tell me where Brooke Scott is?"

"Are you a relative?" the lady asked.

"Brother in law."

The lady nodded as she typed something into her computer. It took a minute to find Brooke in the system but she was there. Turning to Lucas she smiled before she spoke, "She's in the maternity ward on the third floor. Room 623."

"Thanks."

Lucas turned away from the desk toward Karen, Haley and Jason motioning for them to follow him to the elevator. He wanted to get to Brooke and Nathan as fast as possible. Knowing they were in the same building wasn't good enough for him. As soon as the elevator stopped on the third floor Lucas was ready to burst through the doors. Haley and Karen practically had to sprint just to keep up with him.

"Excuse me, can you tell me how Brooke Scott is doing?" Lucas asked when he got to the nurses' station.

"Family?" the woman asked.

"Yes, I'm her brother in law." Lucas knew that they had to ask but he was getting tired of it. It made waiting for the answer that much longer and patience wasn't something he could muster when it came to the well being of his family. No matter how hard he tried it never seemed to work.

"Ok well it says here that they are taking her back to her room. 623."

"Thank you."

And just as they had before, the three adults and Jason rushed off to see Brooke and Nathan. The gravity of the situation hadn't hit Lucas yet. But he knew it would once he saw Brooke and Nathan and his nephews. A minute later he was standing in front of the door to Brooke's room and suddenly he couldn't gather up the courage to knock on the door. Haley grinned at Lucas' nerves and shoved him out of the way to knock on the door herself.

Nathan was sitting in the chair next to Brooke's bed when they heard a knock on the door. He looked at her and smiled because he was pretty sure he knew who it was and he hadn't told her that anyone was coming Miami to see them.

"Hales, hey what are you doing?" Nathan said as he opened the door.

"Please, like you don't know," Haley replied as she rolled her eyes.

"Of course I know."

"Brooke!" Haley walked around Nathan and plopped down in his now vacant chair next to Brooke.

"Hales what are you doing here?" Brooke asked with a surprised expression.

"Your crazy brother in law called me and told me we had to get to Miami. Is everything ok with you?"

"Ya I'm fine."

"And the twins?"

"They'll be fine."

"What do you mean? What's wrong?"

Haley could feel panic setting in. It was like Lucas and Colin's birth all over again.

"Well Jamie is fine but Nathan wasn't breathing when he came out so they took him to NICU. I still haven't seen him but a nurse or someone is supposed to be stopping by later to tell us how he's doing."

Everybody talked for a little while until the nurse came in with an update and she was also carrying Jamie who had just been bathed.

"Oh gosh, Brooke, he's adorable," Haley and Karen both said.

Brooke just nodded as she held her son in her arms. Jason was sitting in the corner watching tv and Lucas was propped up against the wall near the door. He looked a little uncomfortable and no one could understand why.

"Luke what's up dude?" Nathan asked his brother.

"Nothing," Lucas answered quickly.

"Come meet your nephew," Brooke said.

Lucas stood up straight and walked over to the bed. His eyes lit up when he saw the little boy in Brooke's arms. He bared an uncanny resemblance to Nathan. And there was definitely a resemblance to Brooke as well.

"Uncle Lucas this is your nephew James Eugene Scott. But we're gonna call him Jamie."

"Can I?" Lucas asked reaching toward the baby.

"Of course."

Lucas carefully took Jamie into his arms and looked down at the boy with a smile. Brooke and Nathan watched as Lucas seemed to be completely enamored with his nephew. Almost as much as they were enamored with their son.

About an hour later the doctor came in and kicked everyone but Nathan out saying under the pretense that Brooke needed to get some rest and she couldn't do so with a room full of people. Lucas tried to protest but Brooke assured him that it would be ok and he could come back later on. Reluctantly Lucas nodded as he picked Jason up from the chair where he had fallen asleep and followed Haley and Karen out of the room. Instead of wandering around aimlessly they decided to get something to eat at a restaurant because none of them like hospital food.

Two weeks had gone by and Brooke had already been released from the hospital but Nathan was still there. Brooke and Nathan went in everyday to see him for a few hours. While they were there they would hold him, feed him and bathe him. It was becoming increasingly difficult for Brooke to leave her son in the hospital and she told Nathan. He understood but there wasn't anything either of them could do for the time being.

"Nathan it's not fair. We should be able to have both of our sons with us. We shouldn't have to go to the hospital to see Nathan. I don't like it," Brooke said as they were sitting on the bed in the hotel. She had Jamie in her arms and he was sound asleep.

"I know it's not fair. But they have to keep Nathan for a couple more days. Just to make sure he can get through the night on his own without any machines to help him with his breathing and everything. It'll be ok. No matter where he is, this family is still a team," Nathan answered as he leaned over to kiss her on the lips and then he bent down to kiss Jamie on his head.

Brooke nodded. She knew that everything would be fine in a couple days. It was the waiting that was killing her. Patience wasn't something Brooke possessed especially when it concerned her family. Luckily for her Nathan was being understanding so it was a little easier to deal with.

"Hey is Luke still around or did he have to leave?" Brooke asked a little while later.

"He left. But he did come say good-bye. You were sleeping but I didn't want to wake you up. He told me to have you call him when you got up," Nathan answered.

"Ok. What about Karen, Hales and Jason? Are they still here?"

"Ya they said they can stay for as long as you want them to."

"What about my dad? Did he say whether he's coming down here or not?"

"I don't think he's called you back yet."

"You did talk to him right?"

"Well I talked to Alexis but she promised to give him the message."

"Shit! Nate, I believe you but Alexis is a liar. She won't tell Daddy you called. Did you tell her why you were calling?"

"Of course I did."

Brooke nodded as she reached for her phone. She was gonna call her dad at his office. Alexis couldn't interfere there. At least Brooke hoped she couldn't.

"James Davis, how can I help you?" Brooke heard her dad's voice.

"Hey Daddy it's Brooke," she said.

"Hey baby."

"Did Alexis tell you Nathan called the other day?"

"No she didn't. When did Nathan call?"

"Tuesday I think."

"Oh, no. I'm sorry she didn't tell me. Is everything all right?"

"Ya, everything's fine. We were just wondering if you were coming to Miami to see the boys or if you wanted to wait until we go back to Jersey."

"I would love to come to Miami but unfortunately I'm swamped. I'll have to wait and go to Jersey to see them. And of course I wanna see you too."

"Daddy I need to ask you something."

"Ok, what is it?"

"Does Alexis hate me?"

"What? Brookie why would you think that?"

"I don't know. It just seems like she has it out for me or something."

"I don't think she feels that way but I can certainly talk to her if you want me to."

"Thanks Dad."

"You're welcome."

"Daddy I have to go. Nathan and I are going out for a little while."

"Ok, be careful. I love you."

"I love you too."

Brooke closed her phone and grinned at Nathan. He looked over and smiled at the expression on his wife's face. She looked like she was planning something in her head.

"What are you thinking about?" Nathan asked her.

"How bad I need you," Brooke answered truthfully.

Nathan smirked at her as he leaned in and their lips crashed into each other in a desperate kiss. They could feel the heat between their bodies. It was obvious what they wanted and they weren't stopping til they got what they wanted. Pure pleasure. After all they were still on their honeymoon, even if they were paying for it now. A honeymoon was a honeymoon and now was the time to go crazy.

"Nathan," Brooke whimpered.

"Shh," he said as he placed a finger over her lips.

They began shedding their clothes with reckless passion. As soon as they were both undressed they spent the rest of the night in bed.

"That was the best sex I've ever had," Brooke said.

"Absolutely," Nathan agreed.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

They closed their eyes and drifted into a peaceful sleep until Jamie decided he was hungry and wanted to be fed.

_Sorry that took so long. First I had a hard time writing it and then the site wasn't cooperating! Hopefully it'll pick up again. You know what to do! _


	24. He Just Couldn't Say No

Lucas was in New Jersey for a couple days because the Nuggets were playing the Nets and then he was heading to New York to play the Knicks. While he was in New Jersey he was going to see Bella. It would be the first time he was seeing Bella since the knowledge of her father's identity had been revealed. Lucas wasn't sure if he should feel differently or act differently then he had with Bella before. Haley had told him to act like he would even if he didn't know he was Bella's father. The alarm clock in his hotel room went off and Lucas cursed to himself as he rolled over to shut it off. He was spending the morning in team meetings and then it was off to see Bella.

"Jared, come on. We gotta go man," Lucas said to his buddy.

"Get away from me," Jared mumbled into his pillow.

"What are you so tired for? I'm the one who got in at like 2:30 this morning trying to get my crying nephew to sleep before he woke up his brother."

"Dude where was your brother?"

"Out of town taking care of personal stuff. He asked me to keep an eye on Brooke, Jamie and Nate."

"Ok, ok. I'm awake. I swear to God, Scott, if you come any closer with that pitcher I'll kill you."

Lucas laughed as he took another small step toward the bed where Jared was still tucked under the covers. He looked up at Lucas and glared at him, sending Lucas tearing away from the bed toward the bathroom. Lucas and Jared were just throwing their gear in their bags when there was a knock on the door.

"Scott, Ashley, get moving!" one of their teammates said through the door.

The two left the room and went down to the lobby where they were meeting the rest of the team before they left to go to the arena for their meetings and then a short practice.

"So you're going to see your daughter today?" Jared asked Lucas.

"Ya, it should be a good day. It's the first time I've seen her since her mom's ex-lover insisted on a paternity test," Lucas answered.

"So you didn't know you had a daughter for 6 years but you knew her the whole time?"

"Ya, my life has always been weird so I would expect nothing less in this scenario."

"Damn dude. I don't know how you stay so down to earth with stuff like this in your life."

"I dunno, I guess my mom and my uncle had a lot to do with that. But let's not talk about that. My past only makes me wanna kick the shit out of Dan and I don't need to see Bella while I'm pissed off."

Jared nodded. He had no idea what it was like to grow up or live in Lucas' shoes but the more he listened to his friend talk about this dad of his the more Jared knew he was right to be thankful for the life he had.

Finally, the meeting and practice was over and Lucas was on his way to Haley and Jake's house. He called Haley to let her know he was on his way. She told him that Bella was excited to spend time with her daddy and that made Lucas smile. About five minutes later Lucas pulled into the driveway. He shut the car off and jogged up to the door and knocked. He felt his excitement to spend time with his daughter growing as he waited for someone to open the door and let him in.

"Hey Luke, come on in," Haley said as she opened the door.

"Thanks Hales. Where's Bella?" Lucas said as he followed Haley into the living room.

"Hey, Bell. Someone's here to see you," Haley said as she sat down on the couch.

Bella was watching tv with Jenny but she turned away from the tv when Haley said her name. Her eyes skipped past Haley and landed on Lucas. Suddenly without warning Bella was on her feet running toward Lucas with a smile.

"DADDY!" she squealed as he lifted her off the floor and hugged her.

"Hi baby, you ready to go?" Lucas said.

"Where are we going?"

"Out. It's a surprise."

"Daddy."

"Bella."

Haley, who was watching from the couch, burst out laughing as she watched Lucas and Bella interact with each other. It amused her to see that Lucas could mimic a 6 year old girl with ease.

"Ok, so, Hales I'll have Bella back to you in time for bed," Lucas said to Haley a few minutes later.

"What about dinner Luke?" Haley asked.

"Hales, I didn't forget that the kid has to eat. I'm gonna take care of that. Try not to worry so much. You trusted me with Bella more before you knew that I'm her father and then you are right now."

"Sorry I don't know why."

"Neither do I but trust me, Bella's gonna be fine."

"Ok. Bella come say good-bye."

Bella ran to Haley and jumped onto her lap. Haley hugged Bella and kissed her cheek. She put her on the floor again and Bella ran back to Lucas.

"You be a good girl, Bella," Haley said firmly.

"Yes Mommy," Bella replied shyly.

Lucas waved to Haley real quick before turning and walking out to the car with Bella. He was glad that Haley finally let them out of the house. He helped Bella get into the backseat before he jumped into the front seat. As soon as he started the car Bella jumped from the bass. Lucas laughed softly to himself as he reached to turn it down.

"Daddy, that's loud," Bella said seriously.

"I'm sorry sweetie. That should be better now," Lucas said.

Bella nodded and Lucas pulled out of the driveway and drove toward the main road. Lucas was taking Bella out to the park and then a movie and whatever else she wanted to do until 7:30 so he could have her home in time for bed as promised to Haley before they left the house.

"Daddy where are we going?" Bella asked as Lucas continued toward the park near Brooke and Nathan's house.

He would have taken her to a park closer to the house in East Rutherford but the only park he saw was near the arena and the neighborhood seemed a little shady and there was no way Lucas was taking his daughter to a park if it looked shady. Not only would he never forgive himself if something went wrong but Haley would want to kill him too.

"We're gonna go play at the park near Uncle Nathan and Auntie Brooke's house. How does that sound?" Lucas answered.

"Yay! I like the park. Can we play basketball?"

"Of course."

Lucas had to laugh at that. _Leave it to my daughter to wanna play basketball._

"Good. Jake is always tired and we never get to play. And Mommy doesn't like to play or she's too busy with Lucas and Colin."

"Bella, your mom never played basketball when we were kids either. Don't feel bad, it's nothing against you. She's just not the athletic type. The only reason she was even a cheerleader in high school was because Auntie Brooke begged her to join the squad so she wouldn't have to let this other girl on the squad instead."

Bella's face twisted in surprise. She was trying to picture Haley as a cheerleader and the only picture that came up in her little mind was a girl with frizzy hair and thick glasses in a cheerleading uniform holding a book instead of the pompoms with a guitar off to the side. Bella laughed at the picture in her head causing Lucas to look back at her in the rear view mirror.

"What's so funny?"

"Mommy as a cheerleader."

"Ya, it was pretty funny. But she looked good."

"Daddy."

"Sorry."

Lucas would never say it but he always had a thing for Haley but being the kind of guy he was, never did anything about it. Being friends with Haley and loving the friendship they shared for so long Lucas wouldn't dare doing anything to jeopardize that friendship.

A little while later Lucas was pulling into the parking lot and Bella was itching to get out and play ball. As much as she loved to play dolls or house or Barbie with her sister she loved to basketball more. Haley and Jake bought her a Nerf basketball hoop for her bedroom door and whenever Bella didn't want to play house or whatever she would play basketball in her room. Haley tried to teach her daughter to sing or play the piano but Bella had no interest and she playfully cursed Lucas for that.

"Daddy lift me up! I wanna dunk the ball!" Bella squealed.

"Ok," Lucas said as he lifted Bella off the ground so she could dunk the ball, while delivering a play by play of the action. "Isabella James goes up for the dunk. Oh what a beauty! Ladies and gentlemen, Isabella James is on top of her game!"

Bella laughed as the ball went through the net and rolled toward the grass. Lucas put her on the ground and she went to get the ball. He stood patiently on the court while Bella dribbled the ball back onto the court and then passed it to Lucas. Once he got the ball he took a shot and it bounced around the rim and then dropped through the net. They continued to play basketball until Bella decided she was too tired to go on.

"Daddy," Bella whined.

"Bella," Lucas whined in response.

"I'm hungry."

"Let's go get some lunch and then it's off to the movies."

"Yay! What movie are we gonna see?"

"I dunno princess. You tell Daddy what you wanna see and that's what we'll see."

"Oh boy. I like hanging out with you Daddy. Can we get candy and popcorn and soda?"

"Whoa, whoa. I dunno about all that. Let's see how you do with lunch first."

"Ok."

Lucas laughed as he grabbed the ball and Bella and walked back to the car. He opened the door for Bella and she climbed in the back and he shut the door again only to hear her wail. Lucas jerked his head up and realized that Bella hadn't gotten all the way in and he had slammed the door on her foot. He whipped the door open so hard he nearly tore it off the hinges. _Shit! Haley's gonna kill me._

"Daddy! It hurts! Make it stop. DADDY!" Bella cried as she tried to get her foot in the car.

"Baby, don't move it. Here, let Daddy lift you in," Lucas said as calmly as possible while he carefully lifted Bella off the seat enough to slide her all the way into the car. He double and triple checked to make sure she was all the way in before shutting the door this time.

"Daddy, you have to call Mommy and tell her my foot hurts. I want Mommy!" Bella cried as Lucas shut his door and grabbed his cell phone.

He knew that Bella was right, there was no way he could get around calling Haley. Turning the car on Lucas drove toward the hospital so they could get Bella's foot examined and find out exactly what happened. Lucas was hoping that it wasn't broken but since Bella's so little and so young the possibility of a broken foot was almost inevitable in Lucas' mind.

"Hales, it's Luke," he said a minute later.

"What's up?" Haley asked not picking up on the nerves right away.

"I accidentally slammed Bella's foot in the car door. I'm taking her to get it looked at right now. She wants you."

"Luke! I send our daughter out with you for one day and you get her hurt? Unbelievable."

"Hales, it was an accident. She's fine, with the obvious exception of an enormous pain in her foot and she's upset."

"What hospital are you taking her to?"

"Hackensack University Medical Center."

"Ok, tell Bella I'll see her there. Jake just came home a little while ago so I can leave the kids here with him."

"Hales, I may not be in the right to say no to that but please, let me take care of this. I'll bring her home as soon as we're done at the hospital. I promise."

"How am I supposed to trust you?"

"Haley! I didn't do this on purpose. Come on, give me a break here. I messed up, let me be the one to fix it."

"Ok, but I swear if something worse happens I'll kill you Lucas Scott. Count on it."

"I know you will Hales. Trust me I have no doubts about that."

"Don't ever forget it. Let me talk to Bella."

Lucas passed the phone to Bella and told her that Haley wanted to talk to her.

"Mommy," Bella sniffled into the phone.

"Hi baby. Are you ok?" Haley asked.

"My foot hurts. Daddy closed the door on it. Can you come to the hospital? Please?"

"Baby I would but I have to stay here with Colin, Lucas and Jenny until Jake gets home."

"Oh."

"Daddy's gonna take care of you and then you'll be home. Ok baby?"

"Ok. Don't be mad at Daddy. It was an accident."

"I know sweetheart. I just don't like when you get hurt."

"I don't like it either."

"I love you Bella. Let me talk to Daddy again."

"Ok, I love you too Mommy."

Bella gave Lucas the phone again and sat back as tears clouded her eyes. Never in her life had she felt such unbearable pain. She bit her lip as she felt another intense wave of pain rip through her foot again.

"Daddy! Go faster. It really hurts," Bella pleaded through tears that had escaped.

Lucas looked in the rear view mirror and his heart broke at the look on his daughter's face. It made him feel even worse to know it was his action that put that look there. He pressed his foot down on the gas pedal and got them to the hospital as fast as he could. He whipped the car into a parking space and slammed into park before he jumped out and ran to Bella's door, whipped it open and pulled her out with a gentle quickness and kicked it shut again before he ran into the hospital. He didn't stop until he found what he was looking for.

"Excuse me sir, what can I do for you?" a doctor asked Lucas when he saw him holding Bella.

"My daughter, her foot, car door," Lucas rambled.

"Slow down. I didn't understand that."

"I slammed the car door on my daughter's foot. I need to get her looked at."

"Follow me."

Lucas nodded as he followed the doctor with Bella clinging to him. He felt her grip tighten occasionally and he guessed it was because in those moments pain ripped through her foot. Finally they stopped when they approached an area of the hospital that was clearly designated for x-rays.

"Ok, I'm gonna need to take your daughter in for some x-rays. This could take a while if you want to get something to eat," the doctor said to Lucas.

"No, I can wait. I was gonna take her for lunch before this happened," Lucas answered.

"All right. What's your daughter's name?"

"Bella."

"Ok, Bella, let's go take some pictures of your foot. Then we come tell Daddy what's wrong."

"No! Daddy come with me," Bella cried.

"Sweetie, I can't. I'll be right here when you're done and I promise you we'll get something to eat and then I'll take you home to see Mommy," Lucas said as he tried to loosen Bella's grip on his shirt.

"No Daddy! I can't go without you."

"Baby, you have to. It'll be ok. Be good for the nice doctor."

"Bella, my name's Becky, how about if I go with you?" a young girl asked as she came over with a wheelchair for Bella.

"No! I want my daddy to go!" Bella screeched as Lucas put her in the chair.

"Isabella, come on. Be good for Daddy," Lucas said softly as he knelt in front of his daughter.

"Daddy, I'm scared," she whimpered.

"It's ok baby. Go with Becky and the nice doctor. I promise I'll sit right over there until you're all done."

Bella nodded weakly as she hugged Lucas. He wrapped his arms around her in returned and kissed her cheek before Becky traded places with Lucas to tell Bella what was gonna happen. Lucas was relieved to see Bella smile at something Becky said as they disappeared down the corridor. He wandered over to the plastic chairs and slumped into the first one. All Lucas wanted to do was spend some time with his daughter. Never had he imagined it would end up like this.

About an hour later, Becky was bringing Bella back out to Lucas with x-rays. He stood up as soon as he saw the two girls. Nerves ran through him as he waited to hear what was wrong with Bella's foot.

"What's the verdict?" Lucas asked as he tried to calm himself down with a little humor.

"Well it seems that Miss Bella broke her foot. We'll be taking her to put it in a cast and then you can be on your way," Becky answered.

"What about crutches?"

"Oh right, well we don't have any crutches small enough for Bella. I'll see if we can get her fitted for a boot."

"Thanks Becky."

"You're welcome."

"I want a blue cast Daddy!" Bella yelled.

"Ok sweetheart," Lucas said as he followed Becky down the hall.

Another half hour went by before Lucas and Bella were leaving the hospital. Becky had been able to find crutches for Bella so she was hobbling out of the hospital along side Lucas. Her cast was blue just like she wanted and despite the pain, Bella was smiling.

"Belle, I'm sorry I slammed the door on your foot babe," Lucas said as he lifted her into the backseat and laid the crutches on the floor.

"It's ok Daddy. I forgive you," Bella said as she kissed Lucas.

"Thanks sweetie. Ok, let's go show Mommy your cool cast."

"Ya!"

Lucas couldn't help but laugh again. He got into the car himself and drove them back to the house in Rutherford. When Lucas pulled into the driveway it didn't surprise him that Haley was waiting on the porch from them to get back.

"My baby!" she squealed as she ran down the driveway and opened Bella's door.

"Mommy I gots a blue cast and crutches," Bella said.

"Oh baby, does your foot hurt?"

"Not right now."

Haley lifted Bella out of the car and Lucas took the crutches out and followed the girls into the house. Haley carried Bella to the couch and laid her down gently. Taking care of two toddlers, Jenny and an injured Bella was going to be interesting for Haley but she was determined to do it.

"Hales, I'm sorry. I know I said it before but really, I didn't mean for today to go this way," Lucas apologized.

"I know you didn't. Don't worry about it. Did you eat lunch?" Haley answered.

"We didn't get a chance to. We were just leaving the park to go get lunch. Bella's probably starving. Have you fed Jenny and the twins yet?"

"Not yet. I was just gonna make them something. Do you wanna stay for lunch?"

"Daddy stay!" Bella begged from the couch.

"I guess I'm spoken for," Lucas laughed.

"Good, come on. You can help me with the mac n cheese," Haley told him.

"No, no. I'll hang out in here with Bella. You don't want me in your kitchen. Mom's cooking skills didn't exactly carry over to her offspring."

Haley couldn't help but laugh. She knew that was true but she figured she'd let him give it a shot. But if he wanted to stay with Bella there was no way Haley was gonna object. Lucas walked over to the couch and pretended to sit on Bella's foot which caused the little girl to laugh. Lucas moved down to the end of the couch and sat down. Seeing the cast on Bella's foot made Lucas feel like he was the worst dad ever but that was something he wouldn't say out loud to anyone if he could help it.

"Daddy, are we still gonna go to the movies?" Bella asked.

"Not today baby. Next time I come to visit I promise I'll take you to the movies," Lucas answered.

"Ok. Can we watch a movie here then?"

"Sure if Mommy's okay with it. We can watch a movie after lunch."

"Mommy!" Bella yelled.

"What Bella!" Haley yelled back.

"Can Daddy and me watch a movie after lunch?"

"Sure, if Daddy wants to."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Mommy said we can."

"Ok then sounds good. I'll be right back, I'm gonna go see how Mommy's doing with lunch," Lucas said as he stood up and walked to the kitchen.

He walked toward Haley who's back was toward him. He had to fight the urge to walk up to Haley and crush his lips down upon hers. She had so much going for her and again Lucas didn't want to do anything to mess up their friendship. Haley nearly jumped when she turned around to find Lucas standing in the middle of the kitchen staring at her.

"Luke!" she screeched, "You scared me."

"Sorry," he whispered.

"It's ok, what can I do for you?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to see how it's going in here."

"Fine. Are you sure you're ok?"

"I um, I," he trailed off and stepped closer to Haley. It was now or never. Lucas' head was screaming no but his heart was screaming yes. Haley's eyes widened when she saw the look in Lucas' eyes. It was similar to the look he would give her in high school before they had sex.

"Luke," she whispered.

"Shh," Lucas said as he placed a finger over her lips.

He couldn't stop staring at Haley. He wanted to kiss her desperately but the voice of reason kept telling him not to and for reasons unknown to him, Lucas kept listening until finally he couldn't stand it anymore. He closed the gap between himself and Haley and let his lips crash down on hers. They exploded in the most intense either of them ever experienced.

"Haley," Lucas whispered after he broke the kiss.

"Luke, I can't," Haley said.

"But Hales, I love you."

"Don't do this."

Haley turned around and went back to making lunch for the kids. She didn't want this to happen. Her life was perfect the way it was. If she were to give into her desire for Lucas she knew that all hell would break loose and that would be the straw that broke everything.

"Hales," he persisted.

"No, Luke. I love Jake. Don't do this to me. If you really love me, you'll respect that," Haley said firmly.

Lucas knew that Haley was right. If he really did love her, he would respect that she was happy with her life the way it was. He nodded as he turned to go back to the living room. Once again Lucas would not have the girl he truly felt he belonged with.

"Luke," Haley said.

"What Hales?" he bit back.

"I'm sorry."

"Me too."

_Sorry I didn't do something about this sooner._

With that thought in his head Lucas walked back to where Haley was standing and turned her around. Once they were facing each other, Lucas kissed Haley with such passion she couldn't resist. As the kiss deepened Lucas let his hands explore Haley's skin as he pushed her clothes out of the way. Haley was lost in the heat of the moment or she wouldn't have allowed Lucas to strip her down to nothing and leave hot open mouthed kisses all over her skin. Before they knew it, both Lucas and Haley were making their way to the nearest bedroom. Lucas kicked the door shut behind them and gently laid Haley on the bed before he stripped down. Haley found herself aroused at the site of Lucas standing naked before her and she began to kiss his abs and down to his waist and back up again.

"I need you," she whispered.

Lucas looked Haley in the eye for confirmation. When she nodded Lucas slipped himself inside and they began moving in one accord. As they went on Lucas pumped himself harder into Haley and she bucked her hips to match Lucas' thrusts. They kept going like that until Lucas choked, "Cum with me Hales." And before he was done speaking they reached the climax and he released into Haley and felt her warmth mix with his.

"I love you," Lucas said as he wrapped his arms around Haley and kissed her temple.

"I love you too," Haley said.

They fell asleep in each other's arms. Not remembering that it was Haley and Jake who were married, not them. But that didn't matter. Lucas and Haley shared a love that no one would ever understand.

"MOMMY!" Bella shouted.

Haley's eyes shot open when she heard Bella's voice. Her breath caught in her throat when she realized what had just happened. Quickly she got up from the bed and got dressed, running to see what was going on.

"Is lunch ready?" Bella asked.

"In a minute baby," Haley said as she went to the kitchen to finish the mac n cheese. Five minutes later Haley had given all the kids lunch and then she brought some to Lucas who was still not dressed.

"Luke you need to get dressed. We can't let Jake see you like this," Haley said as she gave him the bowl.

"Hales, he's gonna find out anyway," Lucas answered as he dug into the food.

Haley sighed as she sat down next to Lucas and rested her head on his shoulders. She didn't know how this had happened but there wasn't a bone in her body that regretted it. But she knew it had to stop. The only thing was convincing herself to actually follow through on that.

"We can't do this anymore."

"I know."

With that, Haley and Lucas fell into an uneasy silence. The one thing they didn't want to do had become the one thing they couldn't avoid. Life would never be the same.


	25. the hits just keep on coming

Just as Lucas was leaving to get back to his hotel Haley grabbed her cell phone. She needed to talk to somebody and the only person that came to mind was Brooke. As soon as Lucas was out the door Haley dialed Brooke's number hoping that she wouldn't be sleeping or in the shower.

"Hey Hales, what's up?" Brooke answered her phone happily.

"I need to talk to you," Haley answered.

"Dude why do you sound like you're upset?"

"Because I am. That's why I need to talk to you Brooke."

"Ok, I'm listening."

"I slept with Luke."

"I know, you have a daughter remember."

"No, I mean I know that but I slept with Luke again."

"Again? What are you talking about?"

"Brooke, I just slept with him. He's leaving right now."

"Oh god, Hales."

"He took Bella out for the day which ended early because he slammed the car door on her foot. Now I have a 6 year old with a broken foot. Then I made lunch and he followed me into the kitchen. Before I knew it, we were kissing in the kitchen and he had stripped me. We went to the guest bedroom and had sex. I'm a married woman and I had sex with another man. What kind of wife am I?"

"Haley, listen to me. I'm not gonna say I agree with what you did but you can't beat yourself up over it. If you don't want Jake to know you need to shake it off right now. But like you said, you are a married woman. So I think Jake deserves to know but it's totally your call. Just know that whatever you decide, I'm there for you Hales."

"Thanks Brooke. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Ya well. Just don't let it happen again. I'm not sure I could be so understanding if you call me to tell me you slept with Luke again."

"I don't know if I can help it."

"Do you love Jake?"

"What? Of course I do."

"Then you can help it."

Brooke could not believe what Haley was saying to her. She had cheated on her husband with her best friend. That wasn't like Haley. Something was wrong, Brooke could feel it. The only thing was she didn't know exactly what it was. Brooke was silent for a few more minutes before it hit her. Haley had become the woman that Brooke had once been. She didn't want that for her friend. Living her life as the "other woman" wasn't something Brooke ever really enjoyed but being the crazy girl she was in high school that never mattered then. But she wasn't gonna stand back and watch Haley become that woman now. If Haley didn't stop herself then she was gonna end up miserable and Jake would most definitely leave her because he was the one guy that didn't do second chances. If you blew it with Jake, that was it. There was no going back and trying again.

"Brooke I really screwed up. I don't deserve a guy like Jake. He's always been so good to me. Why am I doing this to him?" Haley said breaking their silence.

"I don't know Hales. But I told you, this is something you need to figure out and if you truly love Jake, you need to find a way to make yourself stop. A woman in love does not cheat. A man in love does not cheat either. He doesn't deserve to be treated this way and if the situation was reversed you know I'd say you didn't deserve to be treated that way either. You need to decide what is more important. Your marriage to Jake or your friendship/fling with Lucas."

"Brooke, you're not seriously saying I have to choose between Jake and Luke are you?"

"I'm not telling you to choose anyone. I'm just laying it out there for you to see. Whatever is gonna be decided is gonna be decided because it's what you want and not because I told you what to do."

"Shit, Jake's here. I'll call you later. Thanks Brooke."

"You're welcome Hales."

With that Brooke hung up and went to check on the boys. They had been out of the hospital for three months now and Nate was doing much better than the day they were born. Just like everyone had told Brooke the little boy was a fighter and he didn't give up. Not even for a second. She found herself smiling down at each boy as they slept in their cribs. It was only a matter of time before one or both of them woke up and decided they were hungry or needed a fresh diaper. Brooke slid the door that separated her office from the nursery open and walked over to her desk to sit down. It had been a while since she had written anything and Brooke knew it was time to start getting back into the swing of things.

Brooke was still up in her office when she heard the front door open. She sat up and wiped the corners of her mouth laughing at the fact that she fell asleep at her desk again. It seemed to Brooke that every time she was in her office now, it was inevitable to think she would fall asleep. She was still at her desk when Nathan popped his head into the doorway carrying a dozen white roses. He handed them to Brooke in an over exaggerated manner which made her blush.

"Thanks baby. I missed you today," she said as she accepted the flowers then leaned up to kiss Nathan.

"You're welcome and I missed you too. How are the boys?" Nathan replied as he poked his head in to check on Jamie and Nate.

"They are perfect little angels. Just like their Mommy."

Nathan rolled his eyes making Brooke laugh. They both knew that Brooke was about as far from being an angel as anyone could get.

"Are you bringing them to the game tonight?"

"Of course. It's not everyday they get to watch their daddy and Uncle Jake play their Uncle Lucas. Plus, I'm excited. I haven't been to any games in a while myself."

"This is true. It'll be a nice treat for me to have my favorite girl and the two most adorable little boys in the stands cheering me on. Not much more a guy could ask for to make him happy."

"Speaking of the game tonight, do you know where the boys' jerseys are? I have their jeans, socks, shoes, turtle necks and hats but I can't find their jerseys."

"Did you check in their closet?"

"Ya but the only jerseys I could find are the ones that Skills, Fergie, Junk, Tim, Jake and Luke sent them."

"Well if you can't find the ones that say Scott on the back for the Nets, just put them in their jerseys from Jake. Same team so it'll be all good."

"All right. Will you come help me look? Maybe they are in the closet and I missed them."

Nathan helped Brooke out of the chair and they walked into Jamie and Nate's bedroom to look for their jerseys. They found both of them in the closet just as Nathan had suggested right as Jamie and Nate woke up.

"Looks like someone's ready for a bottle," Brooke said as she lifted Jamie from his crib.

Nathan walked over to Nate's crib and lifted him out. His nose wrinkled as he caught whiff of someone's dirty diaper.

"Hey Champ, what do you say we get you a clean diaper?" he asked Nate, who just grinned toothlessly at his daddy.

Brooke loved to watch Nathan interact with the twins. If she didn't know better she'd swear that every time she saw Nathan with them her heart melted all over again. As she continued to watch him, she made a mental note to talk to him about trying to have another child. They had both agreed that a big family was what they wanted, 6 or 7 kids. Maybe 8 but definitely no more than that. The phone rang in her office shaking Brooke from her thoughts. She walked into the room still holding Jamie.

"Hello," she said without looking at the caller id.

"Brooke, it's Peyton," she heard her friend say.

"Hey what's going on?"

"Not much. Just wanted to see how you're doing you know with the twins and everything."

"They're great, I'm great, Nathan's great. Peyton life is just great. But there is one thing missing."

"What's that?"

"My best friend! Come visit me."

"Actually, I am."

"Really? When?"

"Now."

Just then the doorbell rang. Brooke jumped to her feet, holding Jamie tightly as she bounded down the stairs and pulled open the front door. A smile lit up her face when she saw Peyton and Joaquin standing there.

"P. Sawyer! I missed you!" Brooke squealed as she ushered them in the house.

"I missed you too, B. Scott," Peyton squealed back, "Diga hola a su Tía Brooke y el primo Jamie."

"Hi," Joaquin said shyly.

Brooke knelt in front of the little boy and smiled at him before she spoke, "This is your cousin Jamie. Uncle Nathan is upstairs with your other little cousin, Nate."

"El tío Nathan es arriba con su primo Nate," Peyton translated for Joaquin. Brooke was impressed. She forgot how well Peyton spoke Spanish now.

"Come on, let's go upstairs. I'm sure Nathan would love to see you guys. And I have to get Jamie ready for the game tonight. Oh gosh! What are you gonna do while I'm at the game," Brooke rambled as she went up the stairs holding Jamie followed by Peyton and Joaquin.

"Joaquin and I are going to the game with you. Nathan knew we were coming in today but I told him not to tell you. I know you don't normally like surprises but I figured this would be ok," Peyton explained.

"This is more than okay. The last time I saw you we were in Tree Hill for the wedding. Nathan! Looks who here to see us."

"Hey Peyton, how are you?" Nathan said as he hugged his wife's friend.

"I'm good Nathan. How are you?" Peyton answered.

"Great. I thought I wasn't gonna be able to handle being a first year ball player, husband and father but so far it seems to be working out perfectly. Of course, it doesn't hurt that I have the best wife in the world."

"Hey, don't ignore your nephew," Brooke said as she nudged Nathan with her hip.

"Joaquin, how are you pal? You ready to watch Uncle Nathan and Uncle Jake beat Uncle Lucas?"

"Mommy is teaching me basketball. So I can play like you," Joaquin told Nathan with a grin.

"Peyt you're teaching your son to play basketball? When did you acquire the grace and agility for that?" Nathan laughed.

"Shut up, Scott," Peyton retorted with a playful glare.

"Hey, if Peyton wants to teach Joaquin to play basketball she doesn't have to be graceful. She just has to know what she's talking about," Brooke defended.

"And we all know I can talk about basketball til I'm blue in the face. After all, we did grow up watching you losers play ball all the way through school."

"Stick with me kid and you'll be fine," Nathan said as he put a hand on Joaquin's shoulder. The boy looked up at Nathan and smiled. He had no idea what that meant but it sounded okay so he would go with it for now.

"Hey where's Jaime?" Brooke asked Peyton.

"I don't know. I haven't seen him in a couple months. His PO keeps calling me to check on him and I hate telling him that I don't know where Jaime is. I have a feeling if he doesn't show up in the next couple days there's gonna be a warrant for his arrest or something. But whatever, we split up before he disappeared anyway. So actually I have no reason to know where he is or why. Except for the sake of his son and to get his PO off my back," Peyton answered.

"Geez Peyt."

"Nah it's ok. I think I'm gonna leave Texas all together. I don't like it down there, it's too hot. I was thinking maybe I'd move back to Tree Hill or something. Maybe I could help Karen out at the café or with Tric or both even. I don't know. Nothing is decided other than I know I need to get out of Texas. There's no way I could raise my son around all of Jaime's crazy friends. They'd have him dealing drugs before he gets to the first grade knowing them."

"Wow, well you can stay here as long as you want. I'll help you figure stuff out. I'm a journalist now so I can look into things about Jaime and where he's at and what he's been doing if you need me to."

"La mami que tengo hambre," Joaquin whispered to Peyton.

"Use your English buddy," Peyton answered.

"I'm hungry, Mommy."

"Ok, maybe Auntie Brooke and Uncle Nathan are hungry too. We could go get something to eat."

"Actually, that sounds like a good idea. We can go eat and then I have to get to the arena. Brooke why don't you and Peyton take the kids in my truck and I'll take your car?" Nathan said.

"Sure, makes sense," Brooke answered.

Once they got everything squared away they drove toward the Olive Garden for dinner. Peyton wasn't sure if Joaquin would like the food but when she saw the chicken fingers on the kids menu she quickly shook that thought from her mind.

"Quiero a Mami de licitaciones de pollo," Joaquin told her after she read the choices.

"Okay. Do you want chocolate milk?" Peyton asked.

"No, la sosa."

"How do you ask?"

"Por favor."

Peyton nodded. She was ok with Joaquin drinking soda because he hardly ever had any. It was her way of keeping him from bouncing off the walls all the time. Usually it worked but only if Jaime wasn't around sneaking their son soda behind her back.

An hour and a half later, they were done eating and Nathan had just taken care of the check. Jamie, Nate and Joaquin were getting restless so they decided it was time to go back to the house for a little while before they went to the arena. Nathan kissed Brooke, Nate and Jamie good-bye as he walked to Brooke's Scion and drove to the arena.

"So, I have some pretty shocking news," Brooke said as they drove toward the house.

"What's up?" Peyton asked curiously.

"You know Haley's daughter Bella?"

"Ya? What about her?"

"She's not Chris'."

"What? Are you kidding? Who's kid is she?"

"Luke's."

"No way. How's he taking that?"

"Pretty good. He spent some time with her today and she ended up breaking her foot."

"Wow, Hales must have been pissed."

"She couldn't have been too pissed."

"Why not? What's going on?"

"They slept together."

"Well that would explain Bella."

"No, Peyt. I mean today."

"What?"

"Ya, she called me after he left. She was upset but I told her she has to figure out what she wants to do."

"Why would she do something like that to Jake?"

"I dunno Peyton. Listen, she's gonna be at the game tonight so try not to mention anything about her and Lucas sleeping together."

"All right I won't say anything."

Brooke nodded as they pulled into the driveway. She smiled when she looked in the mirror and saw that all three kids were sound asleep. Peyton got out of the car and helped Brooke get the kids out of the backseat and into the house. They had just put the boys in their cribs and Joaquin was in the guest bedroom with the door open. Brooke watched as Peyton leaned over to kiss him. That's when she caught sight of what looked like a bruise to her. She tried to shake it off. If Peyton wanted her to know, she would tell her. Maybe she was reading too much into it. Brooke didn't know exactly, she only knew that if Jaime had done anything to hurt Peyton she would find him and kill him with her bare hands.

"Brooke why are you looking at me like that?" Peyton asked when she turned around to see Brooke was staring intently at her.

"What?" Brooke asked.

"You were staring at me just now. Why?"

"I was? I'm sorry."

"Brooke." Peyton knew Brooke was lying. She could hear it in her voice.

"Why do you really need to get out of Texas?"

"Huh?"

"Don't play games with me Peyt. What's really going on?"

"No, Brooke. Please. I can't think about it."

"Think about what? What can't you think about?" Brooke knew she was probably pushing too hard but something told her to keep pushing till Peyton talked to her.

"Brooke don't. Not now. I can't do this."

"Peyton, what's going on?" Brooke felt bad for pushing but that instinct wouldn't let her give up. The desperation in Peyton's tone made her want to know more anyway.

"Nothing's going on. I'm fine."

"Don't lie to me. You're not fine."

Peyton walked out of the guest room and ran down the stairs. She couldn't take anymore of Brooke's persistence to talk. It would destroy her again if she had to think about the real truth to why her and Jaime split up and the physical pain it caused her for weeks. Brooke, ever the persistent one, followed Peyton down the stairs. She grabbed her by the arm and turned her around.

"Peyton, I swear. If you don't tell me what's going on right now," Brooke whispered evenly.

"Brooke, don't do this to me. Please, it's too much. I can't think about it. I can't talk about it. No, it can't happen. If I do then it's real and not some nightmare that I can't shake," Peyton pleaded.

"What's too much? Why won't you talk to me?"

"Because. I can't. Please, just let it go."

"I can't. Not when I can see pain in your eyes. What did Jaime do to you?"

Peyton glared at Brooke. She was upset that Brooke would automatically assume that Jaime had done something to her. The truth was though, he had done something to her. She just didn't want to talk about it. Not with the shrink, not with Jeff, and definitely not with Brooke. Stubbornly Peyton kept her mouth shut. This was one thing she wasn't gonna tell Brooke. Even if it meant she died because of it.

"Damn it Peyton! Why can't you tell me?" Brooke shrieked.

Peyton didn't answer. She stared at Brooke with a blank look on her face. Brooke saw the blank look on Peyton's face and threw her hands in the air.

"Fine, don't tell me," Brooke snapped. She didn't actually need Peyton to say anything for her to figure out what Jaime had done. The bruise she had seen was evidence enough that he beat her. What Brooke couldn't make sense of was why Peyton would let something like that happen or why she wouldn't get help. But if Peyton wasn't talking Brooke had no proof that she wasn't talking to anyone or getting help. The only proof Brooke had was that Peyton was refusing to talk to her.

"Welcome to the life of Brooke Scott," she whispered bitterly as she flopped onto the couch in frustration. They would have to leave for the game soon but Brooke didn't care. She wasn't really in the mood to go anymore. But of course, she would because no matter what her mood was, she would always be there for Nathan. After all she was his biggest fan. And always would be. Sighing she stood up again.

"We gotta get going. I don't feel like parking in God's country and Nathan will get mad if I do," Brooke told Peyton.

"Ok," Peyton answered flatly.

They went upstairs to get the kids ready and then were in Nathan's truck heading to the arena for the game. It didn't come as any surprise to Brooke that Haley had pulled into the same lot as they did.

"Hey Hales," she said happily as she threw her arms around her friend in a hug.

"Hey Brooke," Haley said returning the hug.

She had just let go when she saw Peyton emerge from the passenger seat. Brooke looked from Haley to Peyton and back again unsure of what was gonna go down between the two.

"Peyton," Haley said.

"Hey Hales," Peyton said.


	26. He Can't Be Injured!

Brooke stood back as she waited for Haley or Peyton to say something. But neither of them said anything. Haley had turned her attention to getting the kids out of the car and Peyton was just standing there. Content for the moment Brooke let go of the breath she was holding. Tonight was gonna be interesting to say the least. Things had gone smoothly in Tree Hill when they were all together for her and Nathan's wedding but now there wasn't any reason to pretend that they like each other. Brooke was nervous about what was gonna go down.

"Ok, let's get in there," Brooke said, breaking the awkward silence.

"Sure," Peyton mumbled.

"I'm ready. Jenny, Bella. You ready to go watch Daddy, Uncle Nathan and Lucas?" Haley said as she looked at the girls.

"Yay!" the two girls shouted as Jenny jumped up and down and Bella tried but was unsuccessful because of her cast.

The gang made their way toward the arena and just as they had passed through the security check point at the front door Peyton's cell phone was ringing. She groaned as she opened her purse to get it. Checking the number on the caller id, she groaned again.

"What Jeff?" she snapped into the phone.

"Hey no need to get snappy with me," Jeff, Jaime's PO, answered.

"Whatever. What do you want?"

"You know what I want."

"How many times do I have to tell you that I don't know where he is or when and if he's ever coming back?"

"Peyton, I know this isn't easy for you with Joaquin and everything but I need you to tell me the truth."

"I am telling you the truth you little shit."

Brooke and Haley looked at each other wide eyed. Neither of them had any idea what was going on or who was on the phone. But they both knew for Peyton's tone and the look on her face that it wasn't someone she wanted to be talking to. They kept walking until they found their seats. Peyton was still on the phone with Jeff and he was babbling about the same thing he always did when he called to bug her about where Jaime was. He was still talking when the PA announcer was about to introduce the starting line-ups for both teams.

"Look, I won't bother telling you not to call me anymore because you never listen anyway. But I gotta go," Peyton cut in.

"Peyton I'm only trying to"

"Jeff, I don't care what you're trying to do. Bye."

With that Peyton slammed her phone shut and slumped back in her seat. She was intending to enjoy her time away from Texas and Jeff just had to call her and try ruin it for her.

"Peyton what was that about?" Brooke asked cautiously.

"It was Jaime's PO and no, I don't wanna talk about it," Peyton replied.

"Ok, I wasn't gonna ask."

"Liar," Haley and Peyton said at the same time.

"Wow, thanks guys," Brooke laughed.

They quieted down as the PA announcer began talking again.

"Introducing tonight's starting lineup for the visiting Denver Nuggets. At small forward, Carmelo Anthony, at power forward, rookie, Lucas Scott"

The girls cheered as did Bella, eliciting a smile from Lucas. Nathan and Jake were still waiting in the wings with the rest of their team so they didn't hear them cheering for Lucas. The people around them gave them strange looks until they saw that the twins and Brooke were wearing jerseys that said "Scott" on the back.

"At shooting guard, rookie, Jared Ashley, at point guard, Andre Miller, and at center Marcus Camby," the PA announcer continued. The crowd cheered as the rest of the team made their way to the bench and they all slapped hands with the starting five.

"And now…the starting lineup for your New Jersey Nets," the PA announcer said.

The crowd erupted in thunderous cheers. Brooke, Haley and Peyton whistled loudly. Bella and Jenny clapped and tried to scream like the older girls but weren't quite so successful. Jamie, Nate and Joaquin were quiet. The twins were in their car seats in the seats Nathan bought for them and Joaquin was sitting next to them.

"Starting at small forward, Richard Jefferson, at power forward, Vince Carter, at shooting guard, rookie, Jake Jaglieski" screams erupted from Brooke, Haley, Peyton, Jenny and Bella "at point guard, Jason Kidd, and at center, rookie, Nathan Scott."

As soon as the announcer said his first name, Brooke tilted her head back and screamed as loud as she knew how. Haley and Peyton yelled for Nathan too. Bella and Jenny weren't quite as excited but they did shout and clap for him. Everyone sat down after the National Anthem and the game got started. Nathan won the tip off and knocked the ball back to Jake who ran up with it til Jared was in his face. He looked for the open man and saw Richard Jefferson was open. Praying nothing would go wrong Jake passed it to him and not even half a second later, he was being covered. Thinking quickly, Jefferson passed it to Vince Carter who sunk the basketball with ease. The Nets were up 2-0. At the end of the first half the Nets were up 53-49. Nathan and Jake had 8 points each. Lucas had 15.

"Mommy!" Bella squealed.

"Yes baby?" Haley asked.

"Is Daddy winning?"

"No."

"But Auntie Brooke said he has more points."

"What she meant was Daddy scored more times than Uncle Nathan or Jake did."

"Oh." Bella was still confused.

"Mommy. Is Daddy winning?" Jenny asked.

"Yes baby," Haley said.

"Yay! Bella I told you my daddy was winning."

"Shut up," Bella said.

"Isabella!" Haley said angrily, "What do you say to your sister?"

"Sorry."

"Try again young lady." Haley was beginning to think that bringing the girls to the game wasn't a smart idea. Andrea had offered to look after them along with the twins but Haley had insisted on taking them to the game. But now she was thinking that she should have taken Andrea up on the offer.

"I'm sorry Jenny. There is that better Mommy?"

"For now. But you and I are gonna have a talk tomorrow."

"Oh goody."

Brooke and Peyton were half listening as the game had started again. Neither of them wanted Bella to see them smiling so they tried their best to hold in the laughter. Haley sat back in her seat and looked at Brooke and Peyton and just rolled her eyes.

"You keep laughing Brooke, but I swear, this is what you have to look forward to," Haley said.

"That's ok. I have t he best husband ever," Brooke replied.

"Jake's no slouch."

"I never said he was."

"Hey just be glad you guys are married. Now stop arguing, it's annoying," Peyton interjected.

Brooke and Haley both stopped abruptly. Neither of them had been expecting Peyton to be so angry when she jumped in. They turned their attention back to the game in time to see Nathan crash into Kenyon Martin, who had come in for Lucas. He was hunched over on the hardwood floor grabbing his ankle. Even though he was all the way across the court Brooke knew he was really hurting. Her breath was in her throat as she watched the trainers examine him. A few minutes later they had Nathan on his feet and he hobbled over to the bench where they continued talking to him, trying to figure out exactly what was wrong with him and if they should take him to the locker room for x-rays.

"No, I don't need x-rays. Please, just wrap it up, ice it, give me a cortisone shot. I don't care. Anything but x-rays," Nathan insisted.

"Nathan, it's standard procedure," the head trainer said firmly.

"I don't care. Screw procedure." Nathan gritted his teeth as pain shot through his ankle again. He tried to hide it from the trainers but they both saw it.

"Procedure wins. Let's go," the assistant trainer said with a grin.

"Fine. But somebody better go tell my wife what's going on. I know her. She'll see you guys escorting me out of here and panic."

"All right. What's her name and where's she sitting?"

"Brooke Scott. Section 133, row B, seats 1-5," he said through his clenched teeth.

The assistant trainer nodded as he made his way over to tell Brooke what was going on. Meanwhile, Brooke was watching Nathan as he sat on the bench. She knew it was killing him to be on the bench and not on the court. What she didn't know was that he wasn't going to be sitting there much longer. Or that someone was coming to tell her what was going on.

"Hales, what if something's really wrong?" she whimpered.

"Brooke, I'm sure he's fine. Don't worry so much," Haley replied as she squeezed Brooke's hand.

"Excuse me, ma'am. Which one of you is Brooke Scott?" the trainer asked.

"I am," Brooke replied, "What's going on with my husband?"

"He asked that someone tell you we're taking him to the locker room. We need to x-ray his ankle but he said you'd freak out if you didn't know why he was being taken to the locker room."

"Thank you. Can I go with him?"

"I'm sorry ma'am. I can't allow that. But if it will make you feel better, I'll come back and tell you what's wrong as soon as we get the results."

"She would appreciate that," Haley answered for Brooke.

"Very well. Hang in there, Mrs. Scott. Everything is gonna be fine."

Brooke just nodded as the trainer walked away. She waited until he was out of ear shot before she said anything.

"Everything is not fine! I can't have my husband injured. Not when I've got two babies to take care of," she spat. "And another one on the way," she barely whispered.

"What did you just say?" Haley asked.

"Nothing," Brooke answered quickly. _Shit! She heard me. I should have known she would. Maybe she'll forget about it. Ya right, Brooke, she'll bug you til you crack. _

"Brooke, that wasn't nothing. I heard it too," Peyton said.

_Shit! Now I really can't get out of this. _Brooke thought to herself.

"Are you pregnant Brooke?" Haley asked bluntly.

"Way to beat around the bush, Hales," Peyton laughed.

Brooke didn't say anything. She just pretended to watch the game. Truthfully though, her heart wasn't in it with Nathan off the floor. Worry filled her mind as she thought of all the possibilities of what could be wrong with him. And then she came to the fact that she still had to tell Nathan she was pregnant.

"Brooke!" Haley said loudly.

"What?" Brooke asked.

"Are you pregnant?"

"Yes. Yes, I am. Leave me alone."

"Brooke!" Peyton said shocked by the force in her best friend's tone.

"What Peyton?"

"Don't do this here. Come on. Let's just watch the game. You'll know how Nathan's ankle is soon."

"Since when do you get to tell me what to do? I can't have three kids under a year old Peyton. I can't do it. This is too much for me," Brooke cried.

"Hey, don't cry. Listen to me, Brooke, you can do this. And you will. Because it's never gonna be just you. You'll always have Nathan and Haley and Jake. And me when I'm here and when I'm not you can always call. You know that."

Brooke put her head on Peyton's shoulder and let the tears fall. She knew it was gonna be tough but Peyton was right too. Brooke was never gonna be alone. Even when Nathan was on the road, she'd have Haley.

"Hales, I'm sorry I snapped at you," Brooke whispered.

"It's ok Brookie. I still love you," Haley answered her.

"Thanks. I love you too."

They went back to watching the game. Brooke's eyes lit up when she saw that Nathan was back on the floor. But the light in her eye quickly faded when she saw him wince visibly. He was hurting pretty bad but trying to be stubborn and play through it. She wanted to walk over to him and demand that he take himself out of the game but knew that wasn't allowed.

"Mrs. Scott," the trainer said interrupting her thoughts.

"How is he?" she asked.

"Well he's got bone chips in his ankle. We gave him a cortisone shot and wrapped it. But he's gonna be a hurting puppy when the game's over."

"How long will he be out?"

"A couple weeks."

"A couple weeks!"

"It would have been shorter if he wasn't so stubborn and insisted on going back in the game tonight."

"Couldn't you have told him no?"

"We did, but he insisted. Said you didn't come to see him sit on the bench. And he mentioned his sons too."

"Do me a favor, get Coach Frank to take him out and tell him I said I want him to sit the rest of the game. For me and for Jamie and Nate."

"Will do."

"Thanks."

The trainer turned and left again. Leaving Brooke to shake her head with a lopsided grin. It didn't surprise her that Nathan was trying to tough it out for her and the boys but she didn't want him damaging his ankle further. They would be at plenty other games, there was no reason for him to risk it tonight.

"Coach, take Scott out of the game. Now," the head trainer said after he talked to the assistant.

"What? Why? I thought you said he was ok," Coach Frank replied.

"I didn't say that. He did. Just do it."

The coach nodded and made the switch. Nathan grumbled as he heard his name being called from the bench. As he hobbled to the bench he had a feeling that his wife was behind this. When he sat down the assistant trainer joined him.

"You're done for the night, Scott," he told Nathan.

"What why? I'm fine," Nathan insisted.

"Your wife asked me to get you out. For her and your sons."

That was all he needed to hear. Of course Brooke was behind this. She wouldn't want him destroying his ankle and ended hips basketball career prematurely just because they were at the game. He smiled as he sat on the bench. The ended about 20 minutes later, the Nets won 116-95. Nathan ended up with 24 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal. Jake's line wasn't quite as impressive but still good at 14 points and 2 rebounds. Lucas had 28 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocked shots to his credit.

"Hey, how's the ankle Nate?" Jake asked as they went back to the locker room.

"It stings. I really shouldn't have gone back out there but I wanted to. For Brooke, and for Jamie and Nate, I wanted to show them Daddy's a tough guy," Nathan replied.

"You have their whole lives to show them that, Nate. Take some time off, I'm sure Coach and the trainers will encourage, if not insist, that you rest anyway."

"No amount of their insisting is gonna match Brooke's though."

"So true. But she loves you man."

"I know, I love her too."

"I hope so."

"Shut up."

The two guys laughed as they entered the locker room. Most of the team was already in there. They were excited about the win and the press was in the locker room. Nathan tried not to let his disdain for the press show.

"Scott!" Coach Frank yelled interrupting Nathan's thoughts, "Get in my office."

Nathan didn't bother sitting in front of his locker. He kept walking until he was in the coach's office and sat in the chair opposite his.

"What's up Coach?" Nathan asked loosely.

"The trainers and I talked. We all think it would be best if you sat out the next few weeks. Give your ankle time to heal. I'm sure it's not feeling so hot right now. And I won't stand for one of my younger guys risking his career over an ankle injury that isn't serious," Coach Frank explained.

"I know it was stupid of me to insist on getting back out there tonight. I wanted to show my wife and my sons that I can play through pain. But I don't think I could play through this pain again."

"Well I'm glad to hear you say that because like I said, you're sitting out the next couple weeks. Normally I would have players come along on road trips whether they're injured or not but the trainers and I discussed that as well and we think it would be best if you remained home with your family. Of course I still expect to see you in team meetings while you're out."

"Absolutely. An injury to my ankle isn't going to keep me from team meetings."

"That's what I like to hear. All right, hit the showers. I'm sure your wife is waiting for you."

"Thanks Coach."

Nathan stood up and hobbled his way out of the coach's office and toward the showers. He wasn't particularly excited about not playing basketball for a couple weeks but if it meant saving his career, Nathan was all for it. He had promised himself he would always go about things in basketball better than Dan ever had. As soon as Nathan was changed he made his way out of the locker room in search of his family. Of course, he wasn't surprised to find that the press wanted to talk to him, but as always, Nathan didn't want to talk to them and blew right past them. He didn't care if that made him look cocky or stuck up. He didn't care about being a fan favorite or hot ticket for the press. All Nathan Scott wanted was to get to his wife and sons.

Brooke waited anxiously with Peyton for Nathan to come out of the locker room. They were talking about something that had them giggling but stopped when Brooke caught a glimpse of Nathan and took off running in his direction. She didn't stop until he had his arms wrapped around her.

"Baby, how are you? How's your ankle?" Brooke asked.

"It hurts. I'm gonna be out for a couple weeks. Which means you'll have extra help with the boys every day until I'm cleared to play and go on the road with the team again," Nathan replied.

"But Nathan I won't you to rest. I don't want you playing if it's real bad."

"Brooke, you're not listening."

"What? Yes I am. You're going on the road for a couple weeks."

Nathan looked at her and shook his head. She had been listening. But not closely.

"No, baby. I'm not going on the road for a couple weeks because I'm going to be at home with you and Jamie and Nate. We're going to have some family time. Finally."

Brooke smiled. She actually heard him this time. He wasn't going on the road.

"Wait, you're not going on the road? Did the coach have to convince you?"

"No, I agreed with him. I told him it was dumb what I did tonight. I also said I knew there was no way I could play through that pain again. Not only that but I know you wouldn't let me."

"You're right. I have no intentions of letting you play until you're 100 again. But I will let you change diapers and feed the boys and all that fun stuff."

"Great! I can't wait. Speaking of the boys, where are they?"

"With Peyton and Joaquin, over there."

Nathan looked in the direction that Brooke pointed and a broad grin broke out across his face. He wrapped his arm around Brooke's shoulders and together they walked over to Peyton and the kids.

"Hey, nice game Nathan. How's the ankle?" Peyton said when they reached her,

"It hurts. I won't lie. Having a couple weeks to rest will be good for me. For all of us. What do you say we go home and put the kiddos to bed?" Nathan answered.

"Sounds good. Jamie and Nate were whimpering a couple minutes ago but they stopped. Now they're sound asleep."

"Are you gonna be ok driving yourself home?" Brooke asked Nathan.

"I think I can handle it sweetheart. You go ahead with Peyton and the kids in my truck."

As they walked out of the arena Peyton nudged Brooke and gave her a look to ask if she was gonna tell Nathan what she had shared with Haley and Peyton during the game. Brooke smiled crookedly and nodded. Peyton winked and then linked arms with Brooke.

"All right sweetie, I'll see you at home," Nathan said as they approached the Scion.

"Ok, I'll be waiting. I love you," Brooke said as she kissed him sweetly.

"I love you too." Nathan returned the kiss and Peyton pretended to gag behind them which made Brooke smile against Nathan's lips.

"Be careful," Brooke said firmly.

"I promise," Nathan replied sincerely.

Brooke waited until Nathan was in the car and had pulled out of the space and made his way toward the main road before they walked to the parking lot where she had parked Nathan's Touareg before the game.

"Before we go home, I need to stop at the store," Brooke said after they had the kids in the back seat and she was starting it up to pull out of the parking lot.

"Ok, that's fine. I can stay out here with the kids if you want me to," Peyton said.

"Sure. I don't see any reason we should wake them up until we get to the house anyway."

Half an hour later, Brooke was pulling into the driveway of the Scott home. She was glad to see her car in the driveway already which meant Nathan had made it home safely. Peyton was staring out the window but snapped back to reality when she heard Brooke shut the car off. She got out to help Brooke with the twins and to get Joaquin.

"I'm gonna take him upstairs and I think I'm gonna crash too," Peyton said as they walked through the door.

"Are you sure? It's not that late. We can talk you know," Brooke asked questionably.

"Ya, I'm sure. We'll talk tomorrow."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

Brooke hugged Peyton and kissed Joaquin on the top of his head before they went upstairs. She managed to carefully get both car seats through the door without banging them into the wall. Quietly she walked up the stairs and walked into the nursery so she could change their diapers and put them to bed.

"Good night, Jamie," she said as she kissed him gently before laying him in his crib.

"Good night, Nate," she said and did the same to him before putting him in his crib.

Taking a deep breath, Brooke turned off the light in the nursery and closed the door. It would be a few hours before either Jamie or Nate woke up so she didn't want to waste any time telling Nathan. Carefully she walked down the hall to their bedroom where she found Nathan sprawled out across the bed looking at the ceiling.

"Hey honey," she said cheerfully.

"Hey babe," Nathan said with a smile.

"Can we talk?" Brooke laid across the bed and Nathan turned to look at her. He nodded before kissing her sweetly.

"Of course. What's on your mind sweetheart?"

Brooke took another deep breath. She wanted to tell Nathan but she wasn't sure after his spill tonight how well it was going to go over.

"Brooke, what is it? Are you ok?" Nathan asked his eyes searching hers for clues.

"I'm fine, Nathan."

"What's up then?"

"Well you know how we said we want to have a big family?"

"Of course! Why you didn't change your mind did you? You still want that don't you?"

"Yes, babe. That's what I wanted to talk to you about actually."

"Oh really?"

"Ya, how would you feel if I said we're one step closer to that big family?"

"You're pregnant?"

"Yup."

"That's great sweetie! Oh I can't believe this." Nathan leaned over and kissed Brooke with more passion than he thought possible. The kiss was so full of passion it took their breath away.

"I love you," Brooke whispered.

"I love you too," Nathan said. He instinctively placed his hand on her stomach and stroked it lovingly.

"So you're really ok with this?" Brooke asked.

"Absolutely! Brooke I wasn't kidding when I said I want a big family with you. Don't worry, I'm not gonna change my mind either. Everything I've ever said about this family being a team sticks. Now and forever. Ok? I love you and I always will."

"I know and I love you too."

"Don't ever forget that."

"I won't. We should get some sleep before Jamie and Nate wake us up."

Nathan chuckled as he nodded. He kissed Brooke again before they shifted on the bed. Nathan reached over to turn off the lights and they collapsed into a peaceful sleep that much to their delight lasted all through the night.

"Morning, honey," Nathan said as he pulled Brooke into his chest and kissed her hair.

"Morning, babe," Brooke answered him a smile playing on her lips.

They stayed like that until they heard footsteps in the hallway followed by Peyton's voice in the baby monitor as she tried to calm down the twins. Smiling at each other Nathan and Brooke left their bedroom and walked toward the nursery holding hands. Another day had begun in the Scott house.


	27. Girls

It had been four months since Brooke told Nathan that she was pregnant. Today they were going to the doctor's office to find out the sex of the baby. Brooke was convinced that this baby was going to be a girl while Nathan believed that once again they were going to have a son. They were getting Jamie and Nate ready to go with them to the doctor's office. Brooke had thought about asking Haley to watch the twins but Nathan wanted them to go. It was a family thing and Nathan felt that the twins should be there too when they found out the sex of the baby. As corny as it sounded Brooke couldn't disagree with the idea.

"Are you ready Brooke?" Nathan asked as he walked into the nursery.

"I just need to get the boys in their car seats and grab their bag," Brooke replied.

"I'll get the boys in their seats. You just worry about their bag. I don't want you over doing it."

"I'm not. Nathan, I just wanna put the boys in their seats. I knew you weren't gonna let me carry either of them out to the car. Please just let me put them in their seats?"

Nathan sighed reluctantly and nodded his head yes. Brooke's response was to squeal and then she kissed Nathan quickly before turning around to lift Jamie and Nate out of their cribs and into their seats. Jamie's seat is green and white striped. Nate's seat is blue and white striped.

"All right boys, now that Mommy put you in your seats let's go find out if you're gonna have a little brother or sister," Nathan said as he lifted the two car seats off the floor. Jamie and Nate both made gurgling noises at Nathan. To which Brooke and Nathan both smiled at.

As the four Scotts were in the car, Brooke was silently looking out her window. Nathan reached over and grabbed her hand and squeezed. Brooke turned and looked at Nathan and gave him a half smile.

"What's wrong babe?" Nathan asked.

"I'm just not sure I'm ready for this," Brooke whispered.

"Ready for what?"

"Another baby. I don't know if I can do this. Jamie and Nate will just barely be a year old when this baby is born. Nathan, I'm scared."

"Brooke, listen to me. You can do this. I have complete faith in you. And what have I told you about never having to worry about being alone? You'll always have someone there to help you. Even when I can't be there to help, you'll have Hales. Baby, everything is gonna be ok. We're ready. You're ready. You're a wonderful mother to our children and you'll continue to be a wonderful mother to any and all children we have."

"Nathan, I can't help it. I know I'll have you and Hales and anyone else I ask to help me. But it doesn't scare me any less."

"What do you say after we have this baby we wait a couple years before we try for more?"

"Ok."

It wasn't long before they reached the doctor's office. Nathan shut off the engine and helped Brooke out of the truck and then got the twins out of the back. Brooke insisted on helping Nathan and he relented, allowing her to carry one of the twins in their seat while he carried the other twin and their bag.

Brooke and Nathan had just sat down in two of the hard plastic chairs in the waiting room when an older looking woman emerged from behind the closed doors and said, "Brooke Scott."

Grabbing a seat and their bag, Brooke and Nathan stood up and walked toward the door to be led into a room where Dr. Scott would join them in a little while.

"How are you feeling today Mrs. Scott?" the older woman asked sweetly.

"Much better now that the nausea has seemed to pass," Brooke replied with a genuine smile.

"How about you Mr. Scott?"

"Please, call me, Nathan. And as long as my wife and children are in good health then I have nothing to complain about," Nathan answered.

"Well here we are. Dr. Scott should be with you in a few moments."

Brooke and Nathan nodded as the woman turned to leave them in the room. Just as the door was closed Jamie stirred and let out a wail. Nathan got up from the chair he was sitting in to life Jamie out of his seat and walk him around the room, hoping that would settle the boy down. Nathan was still trying to calm Jamie down when Dr. Scott entered the room. A smile spread across her face when she saw that Nathan had been able to accompany Brooke and the twins to the appointment today. It had been a while since he had been able to with his tough schedule.

"Brooke, Nathan. Nice to see you. How are you doing?" she greeted them warmly.

"I'm doing great now. Nathan is too," Brooke said answering for both of them.

"And the twins? How are they?"

"Healthy as can be but right now Jamie seems to be a bit cranky."

"I bet he's just excited, today's a big day for you guys. Nathan I'm so glad you could be here today."

"Me too Dr. Scott. If there's one thing other than the birth of this baby I don't want to miss it's being here today," Nathan replied as Jamie finally quieted down.

"Let's get started shall we. Brooke can you lay back on the table for me while I get the ultrasound set up. Remember, the gel is cold."

"Aw man I thought you were working on fixing that for me," Brooke laughed.

"I tried but they all think I'm crazy."

"Men."

"Hey!" Nathan scoffed.

"Baby you know I'm kidding. I love you but you have no idea how cold this stuff is."

"I'm sorry sweetheart but there's not much I can do about that for you. Unless you wanna find a way to take the baby from your stomach and have them put it in me so I can go through it all for you."

Brooke and Mikayla burst out laughing at Nathan's response. It wasn't the first time Nathan offered something like this to Brooke and she was sure it wasn't gonna be the last so long as they stuck to their plan of having a big family.

"Babe that's sweet of you to offer but I can handle this," Brooke said as Dr. Scott squirted the cold gel on her stomach causing her to draw in a quick breath.

"Sorry I should have warned you," Dr. Scott laughed as she put the gel down.

"No it's fine."

"Ok, Mom and Dad. Look's like your little one wants to say hi."

"Nathan, look. That's our baby," Brooke said with a smile.

"I know. I love you," Nathan said as he leaned down to kiss his wife.

"Oh wait, hold a sec. No, it couldn't be," Dr. Scott said suddenly as she stared closer to the screen.

"What? What is it?" Brooke and Nathan both asked.

"How would you feel if I say it happened again?"

"What happened again?" Nathan asked as Brooke's jaw dropped in understanding.

"Are you serious? Twins again?" Brooke said.

"I believe I am."

"Oh boy."

"Not this time."

"Girls? They're both girls?"

"Yes. This time they're both girls."

"Ha! Now we're even."

Nathan just laughed at Brooke's reaction. Being even wasn't important to him. Having a healthy, happy and safe family was all he wanted.

"Did you hear that Jamie? You and Nate are gonna have two little sisters. Now you have to make sure that they don't get in trouble and watch out for them around boys. Especially when Daddy's not around. As the oldest Scott it's up to you to watch out for your brother and sisters. Mommy and I will always be counting on you to be there for them," Nathan said to his oldest son who just stared up at Nathan with a grin.

"How many copies of this two beauties would you like? Another 8?" Dr. Scott asked.

"Eight would be perfect," Brooke said with a smile.

"Great I'll get that done and you guys can be on your way."

"Thanks Mikayla," Nathan said genuinely.

"No problem."

"Twin girls. I can't believe it. This is going to be so great," Brooke gushed as soon as Mikayla had shut the door.

"I'm glad you feel that way baby. I wouldn't want you to feel like you can't handle this. I know how freaked out you were getting at the idea of being pregnant again already as it is. But we can do this. We will do this. No matter what it takes I'll be there to help you as often as I can. Maybe next season you and the kids can come on the road more," Nathan said.

"Maybe after a while but not right away. I don't know if all that travel would be good for them. It's a great idea though."

"All right, here we are. Eight copies of Scott twin set number two," Dr. Scott said as she walked back into the room and handed the pictures to Brooke.

"Thank you so much," Brooke said.

"You're welcome. Take this out to the check out and let them know I'll wanna see you again next month."

"You got it. See you next month."

"Bye Mikayla, hopefully I'll be able to join Brooke and the boys next month as well," Nathan said as he carried both the boys out as Brooke grabbed their bag with a tiny scowl on her face.

"That would be great Nathan. I look forward to seeing you again. Have a great day you guys. Be careful."

Brooke and Nathan nodded as they left to schedule the next appointment before they went back to their house for a few hours.

"Girls. Nathan we're having girls," Brooke whispered happily.

"I'm gonna go gray before I'm 40," Nathan laughed.

"Shut up, you will not."

"I will if those two are anything like their mommy."

"Hey! What does that mean?"

"Nothing I was playing. If they're anything like you it will be the greatest thing to happen to me since our wedding day."

"Stop it you mush ball."

"I can't help it. Brooke I love you and our sons and I'm gonna love our daughters just as much. I can feel it. This is right, all of this. You, me, Jamie, Nate and the girls. Nothing has ever felt so right to me before."

"I love you." Brooke leaned across the front seat and kissed Nathan's jaw.

"I love you too." Nathan turned and took Brooke's chin in his hand and leaned in for a soft slow kiss before the light turned green again and the car behind them honked to get their attention. Nathan laughed as they broke apart and he continued on toward their house.

Just as Nathan pulled into their driveway Brooke's cell phone went off. She grabbed it and smiled when she saw "Hales" flashing on the caller id.

"So what's the deal Tig?" Haley asked without even saying hello.

"Well hello to you too, Hales," Brooke laughed.

"I'm sorry. I tried to wait for you to call me but I couldn't help myself anymore. Now tell me, what's the verdict? Boy or girl?"

"Girls." Brooke waited for a few seconds to see if Haley would catch on.

"Wait, what? Brooke did you just say girls?"

"Yes I did Haley."

"You're having twins again? You are having twins right? It's not triplets or quadruplets or something is it?"

"No, no. I'm having twins again."

"Aw Brooke that's so great. How did Nathan take it?"

"He's excited and already told Jamie that it's up to him to protect his brother and sisters when they're older, especially with the boys. Hales you should have seen it, I thought my heart was gonna melt into a puddle of nothing."

"I'm so glad Brookie."

"Thanks Hales."

Haley was about to say something else when she heard a scream.

"Brooke I gotta go. One of the girls is screaming and Jake's not here."

"No problem Hales. Go take care of your kids. I'll see you later. Maybe Nathan and Jake can take the kids one night and you and I can hang out with Peyton."

"Sounds like a plan to me."

"All right cool. Love you."

"Love you too."

"Was that your Latin lover?" Nathan asked as he snuck up behind Brooke.

"Oh shoot, you know about that?" Brooke laughed as she turned around to face him.

"Of course. I am Nathan Scott, world's smartest man."

"Oh please. And if you must know, that was Haley. She wanted to know how the appointment went. Curiosity got the best of her patience."

"Yup, sounds like Haley. What did she say?"

"She said that she thinks it's great and you know what? So do I. But I would have thought two more boys was great too. As long as you and I are together and these babies belong to you, I don't care what their sex is."

Nathan smiled as they walked into the house where Nathan had already taken the boys in and put them in their cribs for their mid day nap. Peyton was sprawled out on the couch watching some soap opera while Joaquin played with his trucks on the floor in front of her. Brooke bounced into the room and plopped down on the couch next to her best friend.

"Let's go shopping!" Brooke squealed.

"What for?" Peyton asked.

"Please, Peyt, since when does Brooke Scott need a reason to shop?"

"You're right. I'm sorry. Let's go. Besides I want to hear about this appointment and how you managed to once again carry twins only this time of the better gender."

"You told her?"

"Was I not supposed to? You were outside on the phone with Hales. I figured she would wanna know," Nathan said defensively.

"Babe, it's fine. I was just kidding. Don't forget to tell your brother he's gonna be an uncle to twin nieces and tell him to be excited even if he has to fake it or I'll make sure he never has kids again."

"Don't you think that's a bit harsh?"

"No."

"Ok, my mistake. You girls have a good time. I'll stay here and watch the boys. Joaquin and I can get to know each other some more."

"Hey Joaquin, come here buddy," Peyton called to her son.

"Yes?" he said politely.

"Mommy's gonna out with Auntie Brooke for a while. You're gonna stay here with Uncle Nathan and your cousins. You be a good boy."

"I will Mommy. Have fun. Bye Mommy, bye Auntie Brooke."

The girls waved good-bye to Joaquin and Nathan before making their way out to Brooke's car.

"Uncle Nate?" Joaquin said timidly.

"Ya pal?" Nathan replied.

"How come my daddy doesn't be nice to my mommy and me?"

Nathan drew in a deep breath. He wasn't sure if it was his place to have this conversation with Joaquin but he also knew that he couldn't lie to the boy.

"I don't know why your daddy isn't nice to you and your mom. But what I can tell you is that your mom loves you and she'll never let anything bad happen to you."

"How come she lets bad things happen to her? I know that Daddy hitted her. I saw him do it!"

Nathan was really stuck now. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. His two year old nephew watched his father hit his mother and already knew it wasn't right. Sighing inwardly Nathan lifted Joaquin onto his lap and laid back in his recliner. There must be something he could say to the little boy but at the moment Nathan was at a loss. Despite Dan's mean streak Nathan had never witnessed him hitting his mother and he was pretty sure that was one line Dan Scott wouldn't even cross. At least he hoped that was a line Dan had never crossed. Especially not with his mother.

"Uncle Nate?" Joaquin asked again.

"Ya?" Nathan answered.

"Do you love Auntie Brooke?"

"Of course I do."

"And you don't do mean things to her?"

"Like what?"

"You don't hit her right?"

"No, of course not. What makes you think I would hit Auntie Brooke when I love her?"

"Daddy telled Mommy he loved her whenever he hitted her."

Nathan looked at his nephew and saw tears in the little boy's eyes. Nathan's heart shattered for him and for Peyton as well. He had no idea how bad things were but clearly Joaquin knew more than Peyton could have guessed.

"Oh buddy, that's not love. I'm sure at some point your daddy did love your mommy but if you think you show someone you love them by hurting them, that's wrong. Let me tell you a secret. When you're older, there's going to be a girl you like and may even fall in love with. If you want to show her that you love her, promise me you won't ever hit her. In fact, I want you to promise me you'll never hit any girls. Okay?"

"Okay Uncle Nate. I promise. I not hit any girls."

"Good. Now, I have to ask you something and I want you to tell me the truth okay?"

"Okay."

"Did your daddy hit you?"

Joaquin hesitated nervously. He remembered the feeling of Jaime's fist slamming into his stomach and the sting of his hand as it flew across his face. And the screaming, the threats on his life if anyone found out what was going on. Joaquin didn't want Jaime to find out that he told someone what happened but Nathan wanted the truth.

"Buddy? Did he hit you?" Nathan asked again.

"Yes," Joaquin whispered as he stared at the floor.

Nathan felt anger toward this guy he had never met rise up inside of him but he had to do everything in his power to stay calm. He didn't want to scare Joaquin or make him think that he was gonna hit him like his father did. That wasn't the kind of man Nathan Scott was and that's not the kind of man Nathan Scott wanted to be.

"I'll protect you," Nathan whispered in Joaquin's ear as the boy drifted off to sleep in Nathan's grasp.

Nathan stood up slowly from the chair and walked up to the guest room to lay Joaquin on the bed so he could rest. He bent down and kissed the boy on the forehead before leaving the room to go check on Jamie and Nate. They were both still sound asleep so Nathan left their door open just a little bit before going back downstairs. It made him physically ill to think that someone could lay a hand on his child in a harmful way.

"Brooke it's me baby. Call me when you get this message. We can't let Peyton and Joaquin go anywhere near Jaime again. Hope you girls are having a good time shopping. Be careful, I love you," Nathan said as he got Brooke's voicemail.

Sighing heavily Nathan flopped onto the couch and switched the tv on. After about five minutes he realized there wasn't anything on so he turned the tv off again. A few minutes later he was out cold on the couch and that's how Brooke and Peyton found him after they returned from their shopping excursion.

"NATHAN!" Brooke shouted as she swung the door open with Peyton two steps behind her.

When he didn't answer Brooke kept yelling his name until she spotted him sound asleep sprawled out on the couch. She had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing at the sight. Peyton followed her and had a similar reaction.

"Wow I guess Joaquin wore him out," Peyton laughed.

"Guess so. I wonder where he's at," Brooke said.

Suddenly there was a look of terror on Peyton's face. It hadn't occurred to her that she didn't see her son anywhere until Brooke had mentioned it. Without warning Peyton took off up the stairs in search of her little boy. A feeling of relief washed over her when she opened the door to the guest room and found her son sleeping on the bed.

"Peyton are you ok?" Brooke asked when her best friend walked back down the stairs.

"Ya I just got nervous when I didn't see Joaquin. But he's fine. He's upstairs sleeping. So I guess they wore each other out," Peyton replied.

"Hey girls," Nathan said a minute later as he walked into the kitchen. His clothes were ruffled and his hair was a mess.

"Hey did you and Joaquin have a good day?" Brooke asked as she walked over to kiss her husband.

"Ya sure I guess you could say that."

"He didn't misbehave did he?" Peyton asked nervously.

"No, it's nothing like that."

"Then what is it?"

"I think we need to talk."

Peyton shook her head. She didn't want to talk. Not if it was about what she thought it was gonna be about and not with Nathan. She wouldn't even talk to Brooke about it.

"No, I can't Nathan."

"Peyton. We need to, I don't care if you can't. Don't do it for yourself, do it for Joaquin. He needs you to do this."

"Nathan don't push it."

"Damn it Peyton!" Nathan slammed his hand down on the counter in frustration. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep what Joaquin had said to him while Brooke and Peyton were out shopping inside of him. If they didn't talk soon Nathan was sure he would explode and that wasn't the approach he wanted to take with any of this.

"Nathan what is your problem?" Brooke snapped.

"I wanna talk and now I'm the bad guy? I don't believe this. Whatever! I'm out of here," Nathan shot back as he left the house.

Brooke stood in silent shock, just staring at the door while Peyton sat at the table and cried. It was like a tornado had ripped through the Scott house because suddenly there were three ear piercing screams coming from the second floor. Almost as if they were on auto pilot Brooke and Peyton raced up the stairs to their boys, leaving the other by herself.

"Shh, it's ok baby. Mommy's here, don't cry. Daddy's just upset," Brooke said as she carefully tried to rock both Jamie and Nate.

Meanwhile in the guest room Joaquin was clinging to Peyton and crying in her shoulder while they both lay on the bed. Peyton wasn't sure if there was anything she could say to make her son stop crying. Instead she just held him in her arms and let him cry until he went back to sleep. When she was sure that Joaquin had gone back to sleep Peyton tried to loosen his grip on her shirt only to have him stir again.

"Mama," he whimpered.

"It's ok baby, I'm not going anywhere. I love you," she whispered in his ear. Soon after they were both sound asleep.

Brooke had finally gotten both boys to calm down so she stood up with one on each hip and walked down the hall to the guest room. She was worried about Peyton and Joaquin. Something wasn't right and Nathan's outburst made Brooke believe that he knew what was wrong but ever the stubborn one Peyton refused to talk about it.

"Peyton, it's Brooke, can I come in?" she said.

"Sure," Peyton answered.

Brooke opened the door and sat on the bed handing Peyton one of the twins.

"What's going on Peyt? Why won't you talk to me?" Brooke asked cautiously.

"Please, Brooke. Don't do this now," Peyton pleaded.

"When Peyton? When can I talk to you about whatever it is you're hiding from me?"

Peyton didn't answer her. She didn't know. If she could have it her way, Brooke would never find out but that was impossible, Brooke had ways of finding out things even when you didn't want her to know something. That was just the kind of person Brooke was. And right now, Peyton hated her for it.

"Fine, don't tell me. I'll find out anyway. You know I always do."

Again Peyton said nothing. Although this time she wanted to yell at Brooke, to tell her to get away from her and let her do things her way but that wouldn't go over well. Peyton had come to see Brooke and it was obvious to Brooke that something was wrong so there was no use in Peyton trying to deny it.

The two girls were still sitting in dead silence in the guest room with the three boys when Nathan came back. He was drenched from head to toe in sweat and rain water. He had just run up the stairs when Brooke came out of the guest room carrying Jamie and Nate. She spotted Nathan standing there and smiled at him.

"Is everything ok?" Nathan asked, knowing that nothing was ok.

"I don't know. She won't talk to me," Brooke replied.

"Come here, I need to talk to you."

"What is it?"

"Just come here."

Nathan took Brooke's hand and led her down the hall to their bedroom and shut the door behind him.

"Nate if you wanted to have some fun all you had to do was say so," Brooke said with a goofy smile.

"Brooke listen to me. This is serious," Nathan said trying not to grin.

"Ok, I'm listening. What's going on?"

"It's about Joaquin."

_Ok so I'm the worst person ever! I can't believe it took me almost a month to update. I hope you don't think I forgot about this story or my faithful readers…have no fear for I am back. I think I'm gonna do a few more chapters and then there will be a sequel. You know what to do!_


	28. Fighting Again

Brooke was pacing back and forth in the master bedroom. Nathan's words were still ringing in her ears. It made her physically sick to think that anyone would hit a child, much less his own child. There had to be something she could do for Joaquin and for Peyton. The only thing left was for Brooke to figure out what exactly she was going to do. And how she was gonna pull it off.

"Let me get this straight," Brooke finally spoke, "Joaquin told you that Jaime hit him?"

"Yes. Brooke you should have seen the look on his face when he answered me. It was as if he thought I was gonna punish him. We have to do something. I can't sit back and watch this happen when I know what I know," Nathan replied.

It was still severely bugging him that Joaquin and Peyton were both getting abused. Nathan sat there silently mulling things over when something finally clicked. Peyton's pleading with him not to tell Brooke she was coming to visit with Joaquin wasn't just because Peyton missed Brooke. She was running from Jaime and decided that now was as good a time as any to see Brooke and Nathan and the boys.

"I know you wanna help and I do too but you know Peyton. She's stubborn. She's not gonna ask for help."

"But she is asking Brooke. Just by being here with us. Do you really think she wanted to just suddenly come visit because she missed you?"

"Of course I do! Why wouldn't I?"

"You're right, my mistake. But sweetheart you didn't hear her on the phone when she begged me not to tell you they were coming. I'm not usually good at hearing emotions on the phone unless it's you I'm talking to or my brother but she was crying Brooke. I mean really crying. None of it made sense until now. She's running from Jaime. I think she does know where he is and wants to get as far from him as possible and keep Joaquin with her."

Brooke didn't know what to say to that. There had to be something they could do for them. More than just letting them crash with them for a while. It didn't bother Brooke or Nathan to have Peyton and Joaquin around but things were gonna have to change. And Brooke was determined to get the truth out of Peyton before the day was over. There was only one other person she could think of who could get her to talk—Lucas.

"Luke," Brooke barely said out loud.

"What?" Nathan asked bewildered.

"Luke, we have to tell Luke. Maybe she'll talk to him. Whenever she wouldn't talk to me she'd always talk to Luke. It's worth a shot Nate."

"I dunno. She might get pissed that we're bringing another person into the mix."

"It's Lucas or nothing babe."

"What about Haley?"

"Are you kidding? I think she's still too pissed at Haley for how she treated me after my mom died to even think about opening up to her."

"Ok, we can talk to my brother but if she gets pissed just remember this was all your idea."

"Thanks babe."

"You're welcome. I dunno know about you but I'm not a big fan of facing the wrath of Peyton Sawyer."

"You're such a chicken."

"Oh no, it's not just Peyton's wrath I'm afraid of. It's the entire female population's wrath that scares me."

"Are you kidding me? Nathan Scott is afraid of all women, since when? I've never seen you shy away from me."

"You've weakened me."

"A likely story."

Nathan just laughed.

"Ok I'm gonna go call your brother. You go check on the twins?" Brooke said as she bounded out of the bedroom.

"Sure baby," Nathan agreed as he followed her out of the room and made his way toward the nursery.

He pushed the door open and was surprised to find Peyton in the rocking chair holding a sleeping Nate. Jamie was laying in his crib eyes open as he looked up at the basketball mobile that hung from his crib.

"Oh hey Peyton," Nathan said a little uneasy.

"Hey Nathan. I was in the other room and I heard this little guy making some noise so I thought I'd check it out for you," Peyton replied.

"No problem. Brooke and I had to talk about some stuff."

"Nathan, I'm not stupid. I know you were talking about me in there. Please, just stop. I can take care of myself and my son."

Nathan groaned as he lifted Jamie from his crib and sat in the other rocking chair. He figured now was the only shot he was gonna have at getting Peyton to open up without having to get his brother involved.

"No one said you can't take care of yourself or your son. Being with Jaime isn't safe. I know you're running from him. Why else would you beg and plead for me not to tell my wife who happens to be your best friend that you were coming to visit if you weren't running from him? Explain that to me Peyton because I don't get it."

"I don't have to explain anything to you Nathan."

"No but you should talk to Brooke. She's worried about you and quite frankly after what your son told me, so am I. I'm worried about both of you. This isn't good for either of you. I'm not saying this to be an ass or try and tell you how to live your life. I just want you to be safe."

"I'm fine Nathan. Now if you'll excuse me, I really don't feel like talking anymore."

Peyton placed Nate in Nathan's lap as she turned to leave the nursery before the tears that were threatening to fall could escape. She didn't want Nathan to see her crumble. That wasn't her style. Nathan watched silently as Peyton closed the door behind her.

"Damn it," he whispered harshly to himself.

Lucas was relaxing in his Colorado home when his cell phone went off. He shifted to reach around the sleeping form of his girlfriend, Kelly Lloyd.

"Hello," he said quietly.

"Luke it's Brooke, why are you whispering?" Brooke asked.

"Sorry, Kelly's sleeping right next to me. What's up?"

"Something's going on with Peyton. She won't talk to me or Nathan we've both been trying. I need your help. It's really bad Luke."

"How do you know it's bad if she's not talking?"

"That's exactly how I know. Lucas, you know Peyton just as well as I do. The worse something is the quieter and more determined she is not to talk about it. Please. I don't know who else to ask."

"What about Hales?"

"What is with you and Nathan? Do you really think she's gonna talk to Haley if she won't talk to me? Please Luke! That would never work. Luke I'm not asking you to do this for me. I need you to do this with me."

"Ok, when do you want me to talk to her?"

"See that's the thing. I was kinda thinking maybe you and Kelly could come out to Jersey for a little while and maybe you could talk to her then."

"You want me to ambush Peyton?"

"No. Well yes but Luke you're the only other person I can think of that she trusts besides her dad and there's something in me that says not to go there."

"You know I wanna help but Brooke I'm not sure ambushing Peyton is the smartest way to do it either."

"Ok Mr. Smart Guy what do you suggest we do then?"

"Maybe you could give her some space and wait for her to come to you. I'm sure there's a good reason why she's not talking yet."

"No there isn't! Luke you know Peyton. She's just being stubborn. The longer we wait the harder it's gonna be to get her to talk to anyone. You know what, fine. Don't help me."

"Brooke, calm down. I didn't say I'm not gonna help. I just think there has to be another way to do it. You've made it clear that waiting for Peyton to open up isn't gonna do the trick and I should know that."

"Thank you. Okay, maybe the whole you and Kelly coming to Jersey thing wouldn't be a bad idea. I miss you and it would be nice to get to know my future sister-in-law better."

"Well isn't someone a bit presumptious?"

"What you don't think Kelly's it for you?"

"Oh no, I definitely think that. In fact, I know she's it for me. I was just teasing you."

"Don't do that. It's cruel."

"Stop that."

"So are you at least gonna come out to Jersey for a couple days or something?"

"I'll talk to Kelly and see what she thinks and let you know. Okay?"

"Okay thanks Luke."

"You're welcome Brooke."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Lucas closed his cell phone and put it on the table next to the couch just as Kelly woke up.

"Hey babe, did you have a good nap?" Lucas asked as he kissed her softly on the lips.

"I did until my pillow moved," Kelly teased.

"Sorry about that. I had to answer the phone."

"Who was it?"

"My brother's wife Brooke."

"Oh."

Lucas rolled his eyes. It always seemed to him that Kelly was a little bit jealous of his sister-in-law who also happened to be one of his best friends but he could never figure out why.

"Kel why don't you like Brooke? You don't even know her."

"Sure I do. She's a sugar coated back stabbing little bitch."

"What? You couldn't possibly believe that. Brooke is none of that. She's one of the best people I know and one of very few who've stuck by me through some of the hardest times in my life but you wouldn't know that since you don't seem to have an interest in getting to know her. You know what? I was gonna ask you how you felt about going out to Jersey with me to see my brother and Brooke and my nephews but you made your feelings towards Brooke quite clear. So forget it. I'll be back in a few days."

Lucas didn't bother waiting for Kelly's response. He was too upset with her to care what she had to say. All he could think about was getting to Jersey and talking to Peyton. Brooke had sounded pretty frantic on the phone and there wasn't much that terrified him more than to hear someone he loved sounded like they were frantic and didn't know what to do.

Brooke walked into the living room and found Peyton staring blankly at the tv screen. She drew in her breath as she sat down on the couch gearing up to try and get Peyton to open up one more time. Maybe all Brooke needed to do was get her talk about something else and wait and see if Peyton opened up about what was going on with Jaime on her own.

"Hey Peyt," Brooke said casually.

"What Brooke?" Peyton shot back seeing right through her best friend.

"Can't I hang out with my best friend without having a reason?"

"Of course you can but I know you. This isn't just one of your "I wanna hang out with Peyton" acts. You have something up your sleeve and I can tell you right now if it's a ploy to get me to open up about things with Jaime without having you actually mention it you might as well stop now because I'm not gonna fall for that. I told you before I don't wanna talk about it."

"Peyton please. I don't wanna fight with you. All I wanna know is why won't you talk to me? Why can't you tell me what's going on?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"How do you know that if you won't talk to me!"

"Because you don't know what it's like. You have this perfect little fairy tale life with Nathan, Jamie, Nate and the girls. There's no way you could ever know what it feels like to live in constant fear of where your next meal is gonna come from or if Nathan is gonna come home or not and if he does come home will he be sober or not. You know how I know you wouldn't understand Brooke. Do you really? Because you're not me! You don't know what I've been through and you'll never understand. There's no point in talking about it because no amount of talking about it will make you understand either."

"That's what you think this is Peyton? A perfect little fairy tale life. Well let me tell you something. It's not. Don't get me wrong, I love the life that I have and I love Nathan and our kids but this life is anything but perfect. You think I have nothing to fear because Nathan is a big time NBA rookie living out his boyhood dream? You don't know how wrong you are! I might not have to worry about him getting high or something like that but that doesn't mean I don't worry that there are girls throwing themselves at him when he goes on the road."

"Don't be ridiculous. Nathan only has eyes for you. He would never cheat on you."

"I didn't say he would. Look we're not talking about me and Nathan."

"Well we're not talking about me either so what's left?"

"Damn it Peyton. Please, why are you being stubborn about this? All I'm asking is for you to tell me what's going on with Jaime. And why Joaquin told my husband that his father hit him! This is serious Peyt!"

"You think I don't know that? Brooke I know this is bad but you don't understand how much more it hurts when I have to talk about it. Please, don't make me do it again. It was hard enough telling my dad."

"Oh good so at least you told someone."

"Brooke I can't tell you everything."

"Why not? Don't you trust me Peyton? What could possibly be so bad about telling me what's going on?"

"I don't want you running off telling Haley that I screwed up and how much I suck at being a mother because I let my boyfriend who also happens to be the father of my child beat us both. I just don't wanna hear it and I don't wanna see the look on her face when she knows."

"First of all, you do not suck as a mother. If you did you wouldn't have gotten away from Jaime. Second of all I can't believe you think I would run to Haley and say something like that. We're not in kindergarten anymore Peyton. This isn't like a kindergarten crush or something. Haley doesn't find out unless you tell her."

"And another thing, what the hell were thinking calling Lucas? Did you think I wouldn't find out about that Brooke? You and I both know there are only three people in this world I trust—my dad, you and Lucas."

"What was I supposed to do? You wouldn't talk to me and you keep yelling at Nathan when he tries to talk to you. I just thought maybe if you talked to Lucas you might feel comfortable telling him what's up."

"Why so you can get the information out of him? That's real low Brooke."

"No that's not why, Peyton. I told you, this isn't about me. I don't care who you talk to, I just wanna make sure you're talking. Granted it would be nice if you would talk to me but whatever that's your choice. I get it, you don't wanna talk to me about it. I'm done trying. Good night."

Brooke stood up and left the room leaving Peyton to think about what she had just heard. Both girls were frustrated. Brooke was frustrated with herself for once again not getting Peyton to open up to her and Peyton was frustrated with Brooke for once again trying to force her to talk about what was going on.

Nathan was in the basement working out but he had heard everything Brooke and Peyton said to each other. He was almost angry at Brooke for her comments about him being on the road but wasn't surprised when she quickly redeemed herself. It bothered him to hear his wife and best friend screaming at each other but he was done trying to get Peyton to talk to him. He was obviously not the person she wanted to talk to and apparently neither was his wife which made no sense at all to Nathan. He was so focused on his workout that Nathan hadn't noticed the screaming had stopped. Nervously he put the weights away and jogged up the stairs. Peyton was in the kitchen and nobody was in the living room.

"Where's Brooke?" Nathan asked casually.

"I dunno," Peyton answered.

Nathan opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water before jogging up the stairs again. He had an idea of where she might be. His suspicions were confirmed as soon as he approached their bedroom door.

"Brooke what happened?" Nathan asked as he lay down next to his wife who was clutching her pillow and sobbing.

"She doesn't trust me," Brooke choked out.

"That's crazy. You didn't do anything wrong."

"No, according to Peyton, calling Lucas to ask him for help was wrong. But she accused me of doing that just so I could get the info out of him later. Is that why I called him Nathan? Was I really just hoping he would tell me what's going because she won't tell me herself?"

"Baby, no, you just wanted to make sure Peyton talked to someone. I know you would like that person to be you but you're recognizing that it might not happen. You just wanted to make sure it was someone you know she trusts. Don't beat yourself up over this. Peyton will come around. She'll realize you were doing this because you care and not because you want to piss her off by making her talk."

"What if she doesn't talk to Luke either?"

"Shh, baby, don't think about it. Just close your eyes and get some sleep. I'm gonna go see if the boys need anything and then I'm gonna take a shower."

"No, the boys are fine. I checked on them before I came in here. They're both fed and changed and the monitor is on. Stay here with me."

"Brooke I really need to take a shower."

"Please baby, I don't care if you smell right now. I just need you to hold me right now."

"Oh now that's not fair. You know I can't say no to that."

"Exactly."

Nathan laughed as he laid back down and wrapped his arms around Brooke's waist and kissed her gently. She smiled as she snuggled into Nathan's embrace and closed her eyes.

"I love you, Brooke," Nathan whispered in her ear.

"I love you too," Brooke said as she fell asleep.

Peyton sat at the kitchen table thinking about the conversation, or rather, fight, she and Brooke had just had. She knew Brooke just wanted to help her out but no amount of talking was going to take away the pain in her heart. No amount of talking was gonna take away the guilt of knowing she had stayed with Jaime for too long. Peyton felt like because she stayed for as long as she had that she didn't deserve to be helped. It was up to her to get them away from Jaime and to keep them safe. Now she would just have to make Brooke and Nathan understand that without fighting with Brooke yet again. As Peyton sat at the table her cell phone rang. She thought about ignoring it but didn't.

"Hello," she said wearily.

"Hey baby, it's me," Jaime said on the other end.

"Don't baby me! I have nothing to say to you except call your asshole of a PO and tell him where you are so he can stop bothering me."

"I did call him. He knows where I am. Baby I called to talk to you because I miss you. When are you and Joaquin coming home?"

"Stop calling me baby. You lost that right the first time you hit me. And then again the first time you hit my son."

"He's my son too!"

"You don't deserve to have him call you "daddy" but he's only two years old. But I promise you I will tell him just how much of an asshole his "daddy" really is. Good-bye."

"Fuck you, you ungrateful little bitch!"

Peyton just laughed as she slammed her phone shut and threw it down on the table. She couldn't believe Jaime would be stupid enough to call her and yell at her. _Whatever, he's the one that's gonna pay_ she thought to herself. Peyton sat at the table for a few more minutes before she picked up her phone and went upstairs to the guest room. It didn't surprise her that Joaquin was sound asleep. She smiled at him as she changed into shorts and a t-shirt before getting into the bed on the other side of the room.

_And now there are two new chapters! One more, maybe two and then look out for the sequel. _


	29. Eopards and Mokeys!

Brooke woke up the next morning to the smell of bacon wafting up the stairs. She was thankful to be rid of her morning sickness otherwise that slight smell would have sent her flying into the bathroom. Throwing back the covers she carefully got out of the bed and made her way out of the bedroom and walked past the nursery to find Nathan in there getting the boys dressed and ready for the day.

"My favorite three men," Brooke gushed as she leaned against the door frame.

"Morning baby," Nathan replied as he turned around holding a freshly changed Jamie in his arms while Nate was sitting up in his crib reaching out for Nathan to pick him up.

"So if you're in here, you didn't make breakfast."

"No, I haven't made it downstairs yet this morning. I came in here first. Honestly I didn't even smell anything coming from the kitchen when I woke up."

"Oh well you must have been in here for a while then."

"Ya I was sitting in the chair talking to the boys. Telling them about basketball and how I'll love them no matter what sport they choose to play or not play. I don't want to be another Dan Scott. If things don't go the way they're supposed to for me with basketball I'm not going to push my sons into playing so I can live through them and make them believe that basketball is the only thing life has to offer them. I wouldn't care if they decided to join the chess club or something. As long as they find something that they love doing, I'm behind them all the way."

"Nathan I'm glad you feel that way but don't you think they should learn to walk and talk first?" Brooke couldn't help but smile at Nathan. It was moments like these that they had with their sons that made her heart flip over and her stomach got butterflies all over again.

"I know I just want to make sure they know that I'm always gonna support them. Life doesn't have to be about being a star basketball player for them just because Dan made me think that was all I had going for me in life. Obviously I'm not gonna tell them not to play basketball either. That would just be strange and I don't want them to think I don't want them to play just because I do."

"Sweetie, Jamie and Nate are gonna do what they're gonna do with their lives. I wouldn't be surprised if they both play some kind of sport. I mean with your basketball talent and my talent as a former cheerleader they've definitely got athletics in their blood. That doesn't have to mean anything but it might. Maybe not for Jamie and Nate but maybe down the road with other children, it may happen with the girls. For now, let's take it one day at a time. That's really all we can do. Now I don't know about you, but I'm starving so I'm gonna head downstairs and see what's for breakfast."

"I'll join you in a few minutes. I still have to get Nate dressed. Do you wanna take Jamie down with you?"

"Of course. Let me see my handsome little boy."

Nathan couldn't help but laugh as he placed Jamie in Brooke's waiting arms. He kissed her sweetly and she returned the kiss before turning around to leave her husband in the nursery to dress their younger son. As she went down the stairs Brooke could hear Peyton mumbling to herself but not clear enough to hear exactly what she was saying. Carefully she stepped into the kitchen so she didn't startle Peyton. She must have done a good job of being careful because Peyton didn't realize Brooke had come into the room until she heard the click of the high chair as Brooke placed Jamie in his chair before she went to get his breakfast ready.

"Geez Brooke! You scared me," Peyton said as she put a hand over her heart.

"Sorry Peyton. Whatcha making?" Brooke replied as she sat at the table and pulled Jamie's high chair closer to her.

"Oh you know. Bacon, eggs, green peppers, onions; the works."

"Wow. Are you trying to kill me?"

"Nope."

"Listen about last night."

"Brooke, don't go there. Please. I'm not in the mood. After we fought Jaime called and I yelled at him too. So I'm really not in the mood for it right now."

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I'm gonna stop prying. It's not up to me to make you talk about whatever is going on. And what the hell did you just say? Jaime called last night? Why didn't you come talk to me?"

"Short memory Brooke? Right before he called you stormed up the stairs because you and I had just been fighting. Did you really think I was gonna run to you and tell you that Jaime called and I was upset about that too? You're not stupid enough to think like that."

"No but I guess I am stupid enough to believe my best friend would want me to know what's going on in her life but I guess I was wrong about that too. Enjoy your breakfast."

Brooke was about to leave when she remembered that she had to finish feeding Jamie. Sighing she sat back down and continued to feed Jamie while trying to ignore Peyton. A few minutes later Nathan walked into the room carrying Nate and he cringed. The tension was so thick Nathan was pretty sure if he had to, he could have cut it with a knife.

"What the heck did I just walk into?" he asked hesitantly.

"Nothing," Brooke answered quickly.

"Peyton?" Nathan tried again hoping to get a better response.

"I'm not the one who's pissed this time so don't look at me," Peyton replied.

"Why can't you two just get along? I can't even leave you in a room by yourselves for 10 minutes without some kind of fight breaking out. This isn't high school anymore you two, grow up already."

Nathan didn't bother waiting for Brooke or Peyton to say anything before he grabbed a bowl for Nate's cereal and left to go feed him in the living room. Sooner or later they would have to talk and Nathan really wish it was right now but judging by the silence that still engulfed the kitchen as he sat in the living room feeding Nate, he knew that was gonna happen.

"I hope you don't have to go through anything like this when you're older Nate. It's a pain and hard to cope with. Sometimes I feel like I can't say anything without Mommy getting mad at me or Mommy and Auntie Peyton getting into an argument. It seems like Peyton doesn't understand how much Mommy and I care about her and don't want to see her and Joaquin getting hurt. But at the same time I don't think Mommy realizes she might be pushing too hard. Auntie Peyton has to want to open up and she doesn't but Mommy's not always patient. When she wants something she wants it now and that's what's going on with the situation."

Nathan wasn't aware of it but Brooke and Peyton were both listening to him as he talked to his 8 month old son.

"Peyton," Brooke said cautiously.

"Brooke I'm still not ready. I said more than I wanted to last night," Peyton replied.

"Please, don't shut me out. I can't take it anymore. I realize I was the one who ended our friendship but I was also the one that re-established it because no matter what you're always gonna be a part of my life. Peyton I don't want to fight with you right now. I just want to get this out. Nathan's right, I am stubborn and I probably am pushing too far but that's just how much I love you and how much it's breaking my heart that you went through what you've gone through. You and Joaquin. I don't want you to tell me just to say you told me. If you're gonna tell me, I want it to be because that's what you wanted. Maybe I was wrong to call Luke and ask him to help but I can't help it. I don't like the way I've seen you act lately or the look in your eyes. Peyton they don't hold the same spark that they used to. It's gone, and I miss it and I would love to see it come back. Promise me that you won't go back to him. Please. The idea of losing you when I just got you back again breaks my heart."

"Brooke you shouldn't have to ask me to promise that. You should know that I won't. I couldn't go back to him if I wanted to anyway. I don't know where he is. I told you that when I got here but I guess after all this time you didn't remember. Which doesn't even matter. You're not gonna lose me. I want always be here in New Jersey with you but you're not gonna lose me. I promise, when I'm ready, I will talk to you and I will tell you everything that happened and why I'm not going back to Jaime. But right now I can't do it. And I need you to respect that more than anything I've ever needed you to do for me before. Please Brooke. Just let me be until I'm ready. I know it's not easy on you being pregnant and worrying about what's going on with me so I can only imagine how much worse it's making you feel trying to talk to me only to end up fighting. And by the way, I heard you last night when you said I don't trust you. That's not true. If anyone shouldn't be trusted it should be me but let's not get into that. I love you for wanting to help so bad but right now I'm not ready for that help."

"You'll let me know when you are?"

"Of course."

"Promise?"

"I promise, you'll be the first one to know when I'm ready. For now can we just put it behind us and not fight?"

"I think we can manage that. And I'm pretty sure the girls would appreciate a little break from the fighting too."

Peyton couldn't help but smile. She had no doubt that was true. It made both girls feel good to know that there wasn't gonna be anymore fighting. Peyton would tell Brooke when she was ready and Brooke would wait as patiently as she could for Peyton to tell her. Even if it meant biting her tongue on different occasions to keep from pushing Peyton into talking. They both knew it wasn't gonna be easy but they agreed and that was all that mattered.

"Hey can I borrow my wife?" Nathan asked as he popped his head in the kitchen.

"You don't need my permission," Peyton laughed.

"I'll remember that."

"What's up honey?" Brooke asked curiously.

"Is everything ok with you two? I heard you talking but I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not?"

"Everything is ok or at least as okay as it can be. She's gonna tell me when she's ready and I'm not gonna push her into it. There's no way that any of this stress is good for the girls and I don't wanna do anything to hurt them."

"I'm glad you said that because I don't want anything happening to any of my girls."

Nathan leaned in and kissed Brooke who smiled into Nathan's lips before she kissed him back.

"I love you," Brooke said softly.

"I love you too," Nathan replied.

He was so relieved that Brooke and Peyton had worked out some kind of understanding. But he was still bothered by the situation with Joaquin. He made a mental note to try and talk to Peyton about that later and if she didn't want to, he would follow suit and wait for her to open up. The only thing he could was hope it didn't take a really long time because the longer it took the harder it was going to be. That much Nathan was sure of and that didn't sound good to him either.

"All right I just wanted to see how things were with you girls. I have to go over to the arena today. We have team meetings and practice and stuff all day long. Try not to miss me while I'm gone," Nathan said a few minutes later.

"Don't worry I won't miss you at all," Brooke laughed.

"You're a bad liar."

"I know. Have a good day sweetie and please be careful."

"I will. I'll bring Chinese home for dinner?"

"Sounds good to me. I love you."

"I love you too."

Nathan kissed Brooke's lips before grabbing his keys and heading out the door. Brooke stood in the same spot for a minute before going back into the kitchen.

"Hey where's Nate?" Peyton asked when Brooke walked back in the room alone.

"He's got practice and meetings today. He's gonna bring Chinese home for dinner," Brooke replied.

"Oh I don't know if I'll be here for dinner."

"What? Why not?"

"Well my dad wants to see Joaquin and I told him that I wanted to see him too. We might fly down to Tree Hill this afternoon."

"Oh that's fine. I totally understand. Don't forget to give him a hug from his other daughter."

"I wouldn't dream of it. In fact I think he'd be crushed if I didn't give him a hug and say it was from you."

"Of course he would. Now, since you just dropped this bombshell on me what do you say we call Haley and take the kids to the zoo or something?"

"Brooke Scott at the zoo with seven kids all under the age of 10? I wouldn't miss that for the world."

"Oh shut up. I love Jenny, Bella, Colin, Luke and Joaquin but not nearly as much as I love Jamie and Nate and the nameless wonders."

"Speaking of the "nameless wonders" what are you thinking about naming them?"

"Bridget Ashlee and Haley Elizabeth."

"What does Nathan think of those names?"

"Well we had agreed on Bridget Ashlee for a girl the first time so unless he's changed his mind since then I'm sure he'll still agree to it. But Haley Elizabeth is a new idea so we'll have to wait and see what he thinks but I'm sure he'll love it. If now then I have a back up plan."

"Which is?"

"Meagan Riley."

"And what if he doesn't like that?"

"I know he will. That was his choice for a girl the first time. Hopefully he'll love Haley Elizabeth a little bit more so we can save it for another girl down the road some day."

"How many kids are you two planning to have?"

"Six or seven. Maybe even eight. Which we're already half way there. Or we will be in a few months. Either way we both agreed a big family is something we want especially after growing up as the only child. Well you know what I mean."

"I do."

"Okay I'm gonna go call Haley before we don't have enough time to take the kids to the zoo."

Peyton nodded as Brooke went off in search of the phone. About ten minutes later Peyton was helping Brooke get the kids in the backseat of her Scion. They were meeting Haley and the kids at the zoo in Hackensack. Brooke was glad that Haley had agreed to it. She missed her nieces and nephews and of course her best friend too. She was convinced it was going to be a great day for all of them. Even if Peyton and Joaquin were probably leaving for Tree Hill later on in the day. Right now that didn't matter to Brooke. She was just focusing on spending time with her kids and her best friends and their kids at the zoo.

"Mommy, are we gonna see tigers at the zoo?" Jenny asked excitedly from the backseat of the mini van.

"I hope so," Haley replied as she looked in her rearview mirror and smiled at Jenny.

"What about elephants Mommy?" Bella asked hopefully.

"I hope we see some elephants too. And remember if we see any leopards we have to take pictures for Colin."

"And if there are monkeys we have to take pictures for Luke," Jenny and Bella finished for Haley causing the three girls to giggle.

"Eopard!" Colin squealed.

"Mokey!" Luke squealed.

"You got it boys. We're gonna go to the zoo and look for leopards, monkeys, tigers, elephants and maybe we'll see some turtles too," Haley said as she kept driving toward the zoo.

More than anything Haley was looking forward to seeing Brooke. It had been a while since they had seen each other and she had been thrilled when Brooke called and asked if she wanted to go the zoo with her and Peyton and the kids.

"Mommy, are we there yet?" Jenny asked.

"Almost, Jen. Be patient baby," Haley replied.

"When's almost?"

"Jenny don't make Mommy crazy. I'll tell you when we're there. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Thank you."

Haley reached over and turned the radio on just loud enough so that the kids could hear but not too loud so she couldn't hear them or they couldn't hear her.

Meanwhile at the Continental Airlines Arena, the Nets were practicing real hard. They had to get ready for their upcoming playoff series against the Chicago Bulls. Nathan and Jake were excited to have the opportunity in their first year in the pros. They were in the middle of running a defensive drill when the coach blew his whistle signaling everyone to the bench.

"Okay gang. Nice work today. We're no where near done for the day but I wanted to let you know there's gonna be a slight change in the schedule today. After we're done in here I want you all to hit the weight room for an hour and then hit the showers for hours of meetings. Those will be followed by a break for lunch and then we're coming back in here to run some more defensive drills. Oh and one more thing, chapel starts in 15 minutes for those of you who are interested," the coach said.

He blew his whistle and the team dispersed and went about their business.

"Chapel, ya right," Nathan muttered to himself as he walked toward the weight room.

"Don't knock it til you try it man," Jake said as he pulled up next to his friend.

"He's got a point, Scott," Jefferson said as he walked in the opposite direction.

Nathan watched in silence as his teammate walked in the direction of "chapel". He wasn't sure what to make of it. He had always known there was something different about Richard Jefferson but he just thought it was because he was a nice guy who didn't like to cause any trouble. Maybe that wasn't it at all. Maybe there was something in his life that Nathan was lacking. Nathan shook his head as he kept on walking toward the weight room. There wasn't anything missing in his life. He had everything he could ever ask for. Didn't he? He had always thought so.

"Nate are you okay man?" Jake asked as the two began lifting weights.

"Ya, ya. I'm cool man," Nathan replied distractedly.

"Are you sure? You look, I dunno, confused or something?"

"Jake, I'm fine."

"Okay, sorry I asked."

The two set about their reps in silence. Jake wondering what was bugging Nathan; Nathan wondering what it was that he couldn't get out of his mind. The hour passed by quickly for Nathan who felt like because he was distracted got nothing done. He trudged over to the showers and let the ice cold water hit him and hopefully get rid of the weird feeling in his gut. _I'll just talk to RJ later. Maybe he can help me figure this out. Whatever it is._ Nathan thought to himself as he let the shower freshen him up.

"Hey, Jake! Listen, I'm sorry I was such an ass back there. I just got a lot of stuff on my mind right now," Nathan said as he spotted his friend walking toward the meeting room.

"No sweat dude. Just remember that stuff has to stay off the court when it's game time," Jake replied.

The two nodded and knocked fists as they walked into the room to begin their long morning of meetings and tape reviewing. This was probably the only thing about basketball Nathan wasn't crazy about. Sitting and analyzing tapes and situations and having to know what to expect at any given moment on the court no matter who his opponent was. Normally he could focus during the meetings but today Nathan seemed extremely distracted. It was really bothering him and even the coaching staff was noticing his dazed look.

"Scott, come here a sec," the coach said to him after they finished their first round of tapes.

"What's up coach?" Nathan asked curiously.

"I dunno, you tell me. You seem distracted today. Everything okay at home with Brooke and the kids?"

"Ya Brooke and the kids are great."

"But?"

"Brooke's friend is staying with us and something's going on with her and Brooke and I have been trying to get it out of her for a while now with no luck. I guess my head's just wrapped around that right now."

"Well get your head wrapped around the game tomorrow night. I need you to be there, not just physically but mentally as well."

"Okay, sure no problem."

"Good now you're sure that's it?"

"I'm sure." _At least I think I'm sure, maybe there is something else. No there can't be. That's gotta be it. I'm just worried about Peyton and Joaquin. What else could it be? _Nathan thought to himself as the coach walked away and they kept rolling with their meetings.

"Auntie Brooke this was a good idea!" Jenny squealed as she took another sip of the water she was sharing with Bella.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it Jenny. How about you Bella? Are you having fun?" Brooke asked her other niece.

"Lots of fun!" Bella shouted happily.

"Eopard! Eopard!" Colin shrieked trying to get everyone's attention.

"Not yet baby, soon though," Haley said to her son.

"Mommy you keep saying that but we haven't seen any yet. Are you sure they have leopards?" Bella asked.

"It says there's a leopard exhibit in here. I just hope that they're out so Colin can see them."

"Mama, I see snakes!" Joaquin yelled.

"In a little bit pal. Auntie Brooke and Auntie Haley don't like them. So it's just gonna be us in there ok?" Peyton explained to her son.

"Okay."

Peyton wasn't crazy about snakes either but she knew how much her son liked them so she wasn't gonna deny him the chance to see them.

"Auntie Brooke what do you like?" Jenny asked.

"I like sea otters and polar bears. They're cute. Like you," Brooke replied.

"Ok! We have to find them too! Maybe they're near the turtles. What do you think Mommy?"

"I think that's a possibility. We can check it out," Haley laughed.

Two hours went by and they had seen all the animals they had hoped to and more. Luke, Colin, Jamie and Nate were all sound asleep in their strollers and Joaquin was asleep in Peyton's arms. Jenny and Bella were starting to drag their feet a little bit but refused to give in saying they weren't tired and didn't want to leave the zoo yet.

"Mommy can't we go see the tigers again?" Bella asked for the tenth time.

"No baby. They're taking a nap now," Haley said.

"Tigers don't take naps Mom."

"Yes they do. Come on, let's go. We can come back and see the tigers another day."

"I don't wanna go either Mommy!" Jenny whined.

"Girls, it's really time for us to go. Auntie Peyton and Joaquin have to get ready to go see Auntie Peyton's dad in Tree Hill. And I have to take them to the airport. I promise we can do this again. Maybe next time you'll have two more cousins to show all the different animals. Jamie and Nate seemed to enjoy it," Brooke explained to her nieces. She had to admit she was getting tired and the heat was starting to bother her. Taking off sounded pretty good to her right then even if her 6 year old nieces weren't in agreement.

Reluctantly, Bella and Jenny agreed that they were ready to leave. But they made Haley and Brooke promise to bring them back to the zoo soon. Of course they said they would and maybe they would even get Nathan, Jake and Lucas to come along too. Both girls really seemed to like that idea so it made leaving a little bit easier.

Nathan was eating a sandwich during their lunch break when Richard walked over to him.

"Hey man are you ok?" Richard asked.

"Ya, ya. Everything's cool," Nathan replied even though he knew that wasn't true.

"Are you sure? You look a little bit off today."

"I'm good, thanks."

"Well if you change your mind or just wanna talk or something, I'm always around."

"Thanks man. I appreciate it."

"No problem."

Richard walked away leaving Nathan more confused about what it was that he didn't have in his life that Richard apparently seemed to possess. And there had been his chance to find out and he blew it. _You should have asked him Nate. _He still couldn't shake it. Something was different about RJ and Nathan wanted to know what it was. Maybe it was because he went to chapel. No, that couldn't be it? What was so great about chapel anyway? Why would that make someone different from Nathan just because he didn't go to chapel or understand what it was for. Did that make him a bad guy? Nobody was gonna judge Nathan because he didn't go to chapel or not, at least he didn't think so. And he definitely didn't want them to.

He had just finished his sandwich when the coach told the team to head back out to the gym for more drills. Glad for the change Nathan tossed his plate in the trash and went to the gym. Maybe getting back into the physical aspect of the day would help Nathan shake the thoughts out of his head.

Three, maybe four hours later, Nathan was taking another shower as he prepared to go home for the night. He was grateful that he had been able to keep his focus better on the basketball court during the set of drills and then the short scrimmage they had just finished. All that was on his mind now was getting dinner and going home to see his wife and their sons. Just as he was about to head out the door he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Have a good night man, get some rest," RJ said as Nathan turned to him and nodded.

"You too RJ. See you later," Nathan replied.

With that Nathan grabbed his gear and made his way out to his truck. He remembered his promise to bring home Chinese for dinner so his first stop was a Chinese place that he saw half way between E. Rutherford and Hackensack. About a half hour later he was pulling into the driveway of their house in Hackensack with the food.

"Brooke! I'm home and I brought Chinese as promised!" Nathan called as he opened the front door.

"Nathan! How was your day sweetheart?" Brooke greeted him happily.

"Long. Tiring. I'm just glad to be here with you and the boys now."

"Aww that's sweet."

Nathan smiled as they kissed. He broke apart and walked into the kitchen with the food so he could dish them their plates.

"Hey where's Peyton?" he asked a minute later.

"Tree Hill. She went to see her dad," Brooke replied.

"Cool. What did you do today?"

"Took the kids to the zoo with Peyton and Haley before Peyton left. They had a great time."

"That's good I'm glad. And how are my girls today?"

"Very active."

Nathan laughed.

"You know, we need to work on names."

"I know."

"And you know what you want to name them don't you?"

"Of course I do."

"All right, let's have it."

"Bridget Ashlee and Haley Elizabeth."

"Haley Elizabeth huh?"

"What you don't like it?"

"No I do I guess I'm just surprised is all."

"How come?"

"Well with all the stuff you've gone through with Haley and Peyton I guess I didn't expect to hear you say you wanted to name a daughter after them. But you know what? I love the idea so let's do it."

"YES!" Brooke smiled widely as she leaned across the table and grabbed Nathan's free hand with hers. He looked up at her and squeezed her hand that was now in his.

"So it's settled. Bridget Ashlee and Haley Elizabeth."

"Perfect."

"Absolutely."

They continued to eat their dinner in silence. Nathan was glad to see his wife looking happy and radiant. Maybe having Peyton in Tree Hill for a while would be good for both of them. At least it would make getting into an argument tougher and Nathan was perfectly fine with that. He thought about telling Brooke about his talk with Jake and then with RJ but decided against it because he was still confused about the whole thing himself.


	30. Over Now

This is the last chapter of the story. It's about 12 years in the future.

Brooke and Nathan now have 6 kids with another one on the way; Jamie and Nate are 13, Bridget and Haley are 12, Shaun is 8 and Meagan is 6.

**Haley and Jake have 7 kids and another one on the way. Jenny's 18, Bella's 18, Colin and Luke are 14, Noah is 11, Micah is 9 and Sophia is 5. **

**Lucas is married to Kelly and they have three kids; Jordan who is 12, Gabriella who is 7 and Thomas who is 3.**

**Peyton married Rob Healey, a record company exec. Joaquin is 19. Peyton and Rob have three kids together; Natalie is 11, Madison is 7 and Ryan is a year old. **

**Now that I got that taken care of…it's time for the actual chapter itself. I hope you enjoy it and keep your eyes out for the sequel! **

"Mommy!" Meagan Scott yelled as she ran out of the school building toward Brooke who stood there with arms stretched out waiting for her little girl to jump into her embrace.

"Hey Meggy. Did you have a good day?" Brooke asked as she kissed her daughter's forehead before putting her on the ground.

"Uh huh. I drew you a picture today. And one for Daddy too."

Meagan proudly displayed two pieces of paper in front of her. Each one clearly stated who they were for. Brooke looked at each one and marveled at how beautiful they were and she told Meagan exactly what she thought of them.

"They're gorgeous Meg. I'm gonna put this in my office with the rest of the pictures you drew for me. And I bet Daddy will love his too. Where's your brother?"

Meagan shrugged her shoulders. She didn't know where her older brother, Shaun was and it didn't matter. At least not to a 6 year old. Meagan and Brooke were still standing there when Shaun came running over.

"Hey Mom," he said casually.

"Hey Shaun. How was your day?" Brooke asked.

"It was ok."

"Look at Shaun! I drew Mommy a picture!" Meagan told her brother proudly.

"Good for you shrimp."

"Please don't start with her Shaun. I've had a long day and if I get home to find out your brothers got detention again well let's just say it's not gonna be a fun night in the Scott house," Brooke pleaded as the three of them walked toward Brooke's car.

"Okay, sorry," Shaun apologized.

"Don't apologize to me."

"I'm sorry Meagan."

"It's ok Shaun. Maybe tomorrow I'll draw you a picture," Meagan replied.

Shaun just laughed. He didn't care if his sister drew him a picture or not. But he wasn't gonna say anything.

"Mom when is Dad coming home?" Shaun asked after a few minutes of silence.

"I think he'll be home tonight. At least that's what he told me yesterday. Why what's up?" Brooke replied.

"How come we can't go with him when he has to go on the road? We did that when I was little. Why can't we do it now?"

"Because you and Meagan are both in school now and Daddy and I agreed that it's not a good idea to travel so much during school. It'll get better pal."

"It's not fair! Micah and Noah get to see Dad play more than I do."

"Shaun please. I know it's hard on you. It's hard on all of us. Especially me. I have to play the mom and dad card for six kids while being pregnant with another one. The season's almost over and then you can see Dad all the time."

Shaun slumped back against the seat. Sometimes he hated that his dad was a basketball player. All the other kids thought it was cool that his dad was Nathan Scott and his uncle was Lucas Scott but it wasn't so cool to Shaun when he wanted to play ball and his dad wasn't around because he was on the road all the time.

Brooke sighed. This was becoming a daily thing with Shaun and it wasn't getting any better. Jamie and Nate never acted like this with Nathan being on the road and it was bothering Brooke that she didn't seem to know how to make it better for her son. Sure she missed Nathan too but they had agreed that traveling during the school year had to be kept down to a minimum. Which meant they didn't see Nathan when he was away until school vacations. Sometimes though, if they behaved and helped out around the house, Jamie and Nate were allowed to fly out by themselves to visit Nathan. Shaun wasn't old enough to do that either and he hated that his brothers got too.

"Jamie! Nate!" Brooke called as she opened the front door.

Instead of finding her sons home, Brooke was bombarded by her daughters, Bridget and Haley. They were both grinning devilishly and Brooke was a bit nervous.

"Hey girls. Where are your brothers?" Brooke asked them.

"School," Haley replied.

"Still? It's almost 3:30. They didn't detention again, did they?"

Haley didn't say anything. Bridget however burst out laughing which caused her sister to smack her and her mother to look at her questioningly.

"Ok, Bridge, what's the story this time?" Brooke asked hesitantly.

"Mom, they didn't get detention. They've never had detention," Bridget said.

"What do you mean? All those times they came home and said they had to stay for detention they lied to me?"

"Yup. I don't see why though. I mean Nate told me that when he was a baby he remembers Dad telling him that it didn't matter to him if they joined the chess club or something."

"What are you saying?"

"Mom, what Bridget's trying to say is Jamie and Nate did it. They joined the chess club," Haley cut in.

"You're kidding me!" Brooke exclaimed.

"Nope. They finally broke down and admitted to it today."

"Oh man. Your dad's gonna love this."

"I thought he was okay with us doing our own thing."

"He is, what I meant is he's gonna love that his sons aren't actually getting in trouble everyday at school."

Haley just nodded her head.

"Mom are you okay with them joining the chess club?" Bridget asked seriously.

"Of course sweetheart. Why wouldn't I be okay with it?"

"I dunno, you just don't seem all that happy about it."

"Bridge, come here."

Bridget followed Brooke into the living room and they sat on the couch. Haley, Meagan and Shaun had all run off to their rooms to do their homework or practice their instruments. So far, Bridget was the only "true" athlete of the six kids. That's not to say they didn't all enjoy watching sports because let's face it, they lived to watch but Bridget was the only one who lived to play too.

"Mom, I don't want Jamie and Nate to get made fun of because they joined the chess club. The jocks make fun of kids like them and it bugs the heck out of me. But I don't want them to not join the chess club because they're afraid of being made fun of cause that's not right either," Bridget said seriously.

"Bridge, they're not gonna get made fun of. And if they do, I'm sure they can stand up for themselves. It's very sweet of you to look out for your brothers but don't worry so much. Listen to me, I know I never told you this before but when I was in high school I went from being the slutty, bitchy captain of the cheerleading squad who was known as the drunken party girl to responsible student body president cause I was tired of the stereo types. I hope no one ever stereo types any of you guys but if they do, remember that none of that matters as long as you know who you are and you remember where you came from," Brooke told her daughter.

"I know who I am. I'm Bridget Scott. Sometimes though it feels like I'm expected to be Bridget Scott, super star athlete just because my dad is Nathan Scott and I can't stand it. I want to be known as an individual, not some carbon copy of my dad. We don't even play the same sport."

"People really look at you like you're supposed to be a carbon of Dad?"

"Ya. The girls only talk to me because they think he's cute and the guys worship him. It's annoying."

Brooke was stunned. She had no idea any of this was going on. These were the tines she wished Nathan was around the most. As much as she connected with their daughter Nathan seemed to have a better grasp on what it was like to have so much expected out of him. After all, Dan had done the same to him as a kid and all the way through high school until Nathan finally escaped it in college. Brooke didn't want that for her daughter and she knew Nathan didn't either.

"Have you told your dad about this Bridget?"

"No I don't want him to worry about it. Mom, I'll be fine. I don't need friends when I have my sister and my brothers."

"Do none of you branch out and talk to other kids at school? Or is it just you that is like anti people?"

"I'm not anti people. I'm just anti people wanting to be friends with me because of who my dad is. I want people to wanna be friends with me because they like me for who I am."

"I'm just making sure. I don't want you guys to get a rep as the snotty family that doesn't talk to anyone but each other while you're in school. That's not good either."

Bridget nodded. They were still in the living room when the front door opened and there was a loud bang that Brooke could only guess was the front door closing behind her oldest children.

"Jamie! Nate! Is that you?" Brooke called from her spot on the couch with Bridget.

"Would you settle for me?" Nathan asked with a grin as he sauntered into the living room.

"NATHAN!" Brooke squealed as she leapt from the couch.

"DADDY!" Bridget yelled as she too jumped from the couch and threw herself at Nathan.

"I guess I don't have to ask who missed me," Nathan laughed as he hugged his wife and daughter.

"I thought you were coming home later?" Brooke asked.

"Well I pulled some strings and here I am. Now, where are the rest of my kids?"

"Jamie and Nate are still at school. Haley, Meagan and Shaun are in the rooms. Probably doing homework or practicing their instruments," Brooke told him.

Nathan nodded as he kissed his wife and oldest daughter before bounding up the stairs to say hi to the kids that were home. His first stop was Meagan's room.

"Knock, knock," he said as he pushed the door open.

"Who's there?" Meagan responded, not looking up from the picture she was drawing.

"Daddy."

"Daddy who?"

"Get over here and give Daddy a hug."

Nathan stepped into the room and knelt down as he waited for Meagan to come over and hug him.

"Daddy, you're back! I missed you. I drew you a picture today. It's downstairs with Mommy's."

"You did? Well I can't wait to see it. I bet I'll love it."

"That's what Mommy said to."

"Well Mommy's smart isn't she?"

"Of course!"

"I'll be back in a little bit. I'm gonna say hi to Haley and Shaun."

"Ok Daddy. Maybe later we can play a game?"

"Sure peanut. Any game you want."

Meagan smiled as she watched Nathan leave her room. She really liked it when Nathan was home. Shaun was nicer to her and he didn't yell at Brooke either.

Nathan continued down the hall toward his youngest son's bedroom. The door was closed and he could hear Shaun playing his guitar. All six of the Scott children played one instrument or another. Jamie, Bridget and Meagan play the piano, Nate plays drums, Haley plays the clarinet, and Shaun plays the guitar.

"Hey Shaun, that sounds good pal," Nathan said as he poked his head in the room.

"Dad what are you doing here?" Shaun asked excitedly.

"Mom told you I was coming home didn't she?"

"Ya but she said you told her you'd be here tomorrow."

"Well I pulled some strings and I'm here now. What do you say you take a break from the guitar to shoot some hoops with your old man?'

"Okay. Cool let's go."

Shaun put his guitar away and grabbed his basketball. He was about to run out of the room when Nathan shook his head and pointed at his outfit.

"You don't think you're gonna go down to the court like that do you?"

Shaun was still in his uniform from school which consisted of khakis and an orange polo shirt. Brooke and Nathan had decided when it was time to send Jamie and Nate to school that they would send them to private school until they reached junior high and then they would think about public schools. So far, though, none of the Scott kids had entered into the public school system. Currently all six kids attended St. Francis School in Hackensack.

"Hurry up and change. I'll meet you downstairs," Nathan said to Shaun as he left to go say hi to Haley.

Haley was in her room buried in math homework when Nathan knocked on her bedroom door. He could hear the music on so he knew she was in there. It made him happy to see that his kids didn't think they could do whatever they wanted while he was away. With the exception of Jamie and Nate, or so he thought at least.

"Haley, can I come in?" Nathan asked as he knocked again.

"Sure, come on in," Haley replied without hearing who it was.

"Now that's what I like to see. My daughter actually doing her school work instead of putting off til midnight," he said as he popped open the door.

"Dad! When did you get here?" Haley said excitedly as she hopped off the bed.

"A little while ago. Your mom really must have thought that I wasn't coming home today or she convinced you guys that she didn't believe it."

"I knew you'd be here. You always come home when you say you're going to."

"At least someone has faith in her dad."

"Hey! Everybody else does too."

"I know, I was kidding. What are you working on?"

"Math. It's a pain. I called Aunt Haley to help me out but Bella said she's not home."

"Let me see it."

"Are you serious Dad?"

"Sure why not? I'm a smart guy."

"Ya right," Bridget laughed as she walked in the room.

"Thanks Bridge, I love you too," Nathan laughed as his oldest daughter.

"Of course you do Daddy."

"What's up Bridge?" Haley asked her twin.

"I'm bored. Mom's sleeping on the couch and the boys aren't home yet."

"Go read a book or something."

"Haley!"

"Bridget!"

"Hale please. I'll help you with your math later but right now I wanna do something fun. Come on."

Bridget looked at her twin pleadingly. She wanted to talk to her but she didn't want to mention why in front of Nathan because she really didn't want to talk to him about this. It was kind of personal. Haley really wanted to get her math done but she could see the look in her twin's eyes. Sighing she closed her book and made room for Bridget on the bed next to her.

"Uh, Dad, do you mind?" Bridget asked.

"What? Oh sure. Carry on girls. I'm gonna go play ball with Shaun for a while. Keep your ear out for your sister and your mom," Nathan replied.

"Dad, we can do this. It's not like we've never done it before. Besides, when Jamie and Nate get home they'll keep Meg busy. Go have fun with Shaun," Haley told him as she shooed him out of her room.

Nathan shook his head with a smile as he closed the door behind him. This was the first time he could remember his 12 year old daughters ganging up to kick him out of a room. He hated to admit it but they were really growing up. It didn't surprise him when he ran down the stairs to find Shaun sitting there holding the basketball waiting for him.

"You ready Shaun?" Nathan asked him.

"Ya let's go," Shaun said as he stood up.

"Ok, go tell Mom we're leaving."

Shaun ran off to the living room to tell Brooke they were going out.

"Mom, I'm going to shoot some hoops with Dad for a little while," Shaun said quietly.

"Ok, have fun, buddy. I love you," Brooke muttered still half asleep.

"I love you too."

Shaun kissed Brooke's forehead before running back to the door. Just as Nathan and Shaun were leaving, Jamie and Nate were coming up the front walk way.

"Hey guys," Nathan said casually when he spotted them.

"Hey Dad! How are ya?" Jamie asked as he gave Nathan a hug.

"I'm good how are you?"

"Pretty good."

"Ya me too. Going off to play ball with Shaunie?" Nate asked as he ruffled his little brother's hair.

"Yup. I wanna talk to you when I get back though," Nathan answered.

"Okay, sure no problem."

Nathan and Shaun waved as they got in Nathan's truck and made their way to the park.

"I wonder what that's about," Jamie said as they walked through the door.

"Probably all the detentions we've had," Nate laughed.

"You know, we can't keep lying to Mom about it Nate. She's gonna ground us eventually and we're not even doing anything wrong."

"I know dude but come on. The chess club? Out of everything we could have picked at school we picked the chess club?"

"Oh come on. You wanted to join the theater club."

"I still do!"

"Oh god. My brother the drama king ladies and gentlemen."

"Shut up Jamie!"

"No you shut up Nate."

The two boys started shoving each other in the hallway until it got so ugly that they were rolling around on the floor beating each other in the face. Bridget and Haley ran down the stairs the second they heard a loud crash and Bridget screamed when she saw her brothers rolling on the floor beating on each other. Brooke woke up with a start when she heard Bridget's scream. She ran out of the living room and anger flared within her when she looked down and saw what was going on.

"James! Nathan! Get up right now!" she yelled.

The two of them stopped immediately at the sound of Brooke's voice. They were in for it now. First because they knew where she thought they had been and now because they just got busted for fighting with each other.

"What the hell is going on?" Brooke demanded when they were standing up.

"Jamie started it," Nate said.

"I did not," Jamie retorted.

"Shut up. I don't care who started it. Just tell me what happened!"

Nobody said anything. Brooke stood there with her arms crossed in front of her chest and stern look on her face.

"Fine if you can't tell me then you can go upstairs to your rooms and do your homework. And don't bother asking to do anything else until your father gets home."

Jamie and Nate both grumbled as they made their way upstairs. Bridget and Haley couldn't help but laugh as they went by. Sometimes it seemed like they were the older twins and not the boys.

"How's your homework coming girls?" Brooke asked them.

"I'm done with mine. I'm just helping Haley with her math. Dad offered to help but he was taking Shaun to play ball so I told him I'd look at it with her," Bridget replied.

"Thanks Bridge. How's the rest of your homework coming Haley?"

"I need you to look over my English paper for me. Then I have to read some more for geography," Haley answered.

"How come you still have so much to do?"

"Because she flirts in study hall instead of doing her homework," Bridget teased.

"I do not! Jeff wouldn't stop bugging me today. I couldn't get anything done," Haley protested.

Brooke rolled her eyes. The years of being distracted by the opposite sex had apparently fallen upon her daughter. Oh what fun this was gonna be. Just thinking about it made Brooke wanna crawl under a rock. Instead she opted for grabbing the phone and talking to her best friend.

"Haley, it's Brooke. I need to talk to you," she said when her best friend got on the phone.

"What's up Tigger?" Haley asked.

"It seems your namesake was a little distracted during study hall today at school and didn't get all her homework finished because of it."

"What do you mean distracted?"

"You know what I mean Hales."

"Oh boy. What's the name of this young man that has caught the attention of my niece?"

"I believe the name is Jeff. Apparently Bridget thinks Haley was flirting with him and Haley said he was bugging her. What am I gonna do? My little girls are growing up. I'm not ready for this. Hales, she's only 12! I remember what I was like at 12, I do not want my daughters to be anything like I was."

"Relax Brooke. It's probably nothing more than a crush. I'm sure you have nothing to worry about."

"How do you know that Hales? How do you know I have nothing to worry about?"

"Because I know your daughter. She's not gonna let some guy distract her. I wouldn't worry about it unless her grades start suffering okay? Besides, you have bigger things to think about besides what boy distracted your daughter at school today. Try focusing on that stuff for a while."

"Hales, I can't focus on the baby anymore. If I do I'll get depressed. I'm already convinced he's not coming out. I'm already almost a week overdue."

"Maybe he's just waiting for his daddy to come home."

"Nathan is home. He just got here today. Did Jake come home yet?"

"Nope. At least not that I've seen or heard. Colin and Luke aren't here. Noah's outside with Micah and the dog. I had Sophia with me. So unless he's been here and gone out he's still not back."

"That's weird. You'd think if Nathan came home Jake would have too."

"Ya I know. He could have gone to see Jenny though."

"Good point. Well that's probably where he is. Okay now that we've covered all that, how are you doing with the baby?"

"She's driving me crazy. All day today she wouldn't stop kicking."

"Oh man, I'm glad Chase is past that stage but I wish he would come out already!"

"I know and he will. Even if the doctors have to go in and force him out."

"Ew, don't be gross."

"Sorry."

"It's ok. So, what's my niece's name gonna be?"

"Hayden Emily Jagielski."

"Aw, Hales that's adorable."

Brooke and Haley talked for a little while longer about anything and everything. Including Peyton and Rob and their kids, Lucas and Kelly. Really their conversation was all over the place. They were still talking when Brooke felt a sharp pain in her back. She winced as another pain ripped through her back about five minutes later.

"Brooke are you ok? What's going on?" Haley asked frantically when she heard her friend wince.

"I think all this talk about Chase not wanting out changed his mind," Brooke explained through sharp gasps of breath.

"Oh shit, ok. Call Nathan, you can do this Brooke."

"Hales, I know. It's not the first time I've done this."

Haley laughed. They said a quick good-bye and Brooke picked up the phone again to call Nathan.

"Hey it's me, get home," Brooke said as she bit back the pain of another contraction.

"Why? What's wrong? Are you all right?" Nathan asked frantically as he grabbed the ball and motioned for Shaun to get in the truck.

"No, I'm not. It seems your son was waiting for you to be home to come into the world. And you're home now and owwwwwwwww damn it that hurt."

"Ok, I'm on my way baby. It's gonna be fine. We'll get to the hospital and have a healthy little boy, you just hang in there."

"Don't you dare patronize me Nathan Scott. Just get your ass home now."

Nathan couldn't help but laugh at Brooke's last statement. She was always grouchy when in labor. Except for the first time, that is. He got to the house five minutes later to find Brooke standing in the driveway with their five other kids. Jamie and Nate helped her down the driveway as Bridget and Haley helped Meagan climb in the back seat with Shaun before getting in themselves. As soon as Brooke was in the truck, Jamie and Nate got in and closed the door. Nathan slammed the truck into reverse and back out of the driveway quickly before throwing it in drive and speeding toward the hospital.

Everybody jumped into action once Nathan had parked the truck and they rushed to get Brooke into the hospital as fast as possible.

"Excuse me, I need a doctor immediately. My wife is in labor," Nathan said as the family burst through the doors. Within seconds Brooke was in a wheelchair and they were rushing her up to the maternity ward.

After only an hour of pushing and crying and telling Nathan she hated him and was never doing this again, Brooke gave birth to a handsome little boy who they named Patrick Chase Scott.

_There you have it my friends…part one of the fabulous Brathan fan fic! Hope you liked it and keep your eye out for the new one. In the mean time you might wanna check out my latest story "Life Without Lucas". Thanks for all the love. _


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